Gamemaster
by aptasi
Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition. Third in the Endgame series.
1. Robot

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

_Acme Headquarters, San Francisco_

"Why are you working this case so hard Ives?"

"Because I have to…" Ivy uttered softly,

"Come on sis," He said gently. "You've got to know that you'll never get a conviction off this."

"It isn't fair that someone can just do that to another human being and get away with it!"

"Ivy, we both know it's not any other human being that you're upset about. You're having this reaction because it's Carmen."

Ivy shook her head and continued typing.

"She wants us to let it go. Don't you remember she made you promise not to do this…?"

"Technically that was in an alternate reality," Ivy countered. "It never really happened."

"Ivy I really don't think she would want…"

"I'm sick of watching her get hurt."

"Yeah I know. Me too." Zack commiserated sadly. "Look Ives, I'm your brother. I get what you're thinking."

Ivy punched some of the keys in anger. "And what's that?"

"Do you remember when Carmen got caught in that avalanche?"1

"Yeah" Ivy did not take her eyes off the screen. "So? I was trying to make Chief feel better. People in this agency have a really annoying tendency to blame themselves for her defection and I needed it to stop."

"Yeah how about that…." Zack muttered under his breath.

Without taking her eyes of the screen, Ivy kicked Zack's chair. "You have a point?"

"My point is that what's bugging you is that it really wasn't her choice…"

His sister slammed her fists into the table. "She did everything she was supposed to…"

"And it blew up in her face…" Zack sighed. "I know…"

Ivy shivered, staring straight forward with haunted eyes. "How could this happen."

"Reality sucks…" Zack suggested. "But if you've not finding anything you have to let this go. You have been at it for months and you have still got nothing. You can even find anyone else who was involved."

"There's no records anywhere." Ivy growled.

"Well yeah, Ives." Zack explained. "The whole thing was a black op. It would have to be off the books. Carmen's the only one who knew about it and survived."

"I wasn't trying to find the op." Ivy clarified. "I was looking for info on Morocco."

"C'mon sis." Zack said, gently trying to pull her away from her work. "It says Lee left her in a local lockup. No one knew what happened after that. Acme wouldn't do something like that on purpose."

Ivy begged. "Would you look, at least?"

"I'm not getting sucked into this." Her brother declared.

"Look for one day…" Ivy wheedled. "If with your computer skills you find nothing, I'll believe there's nothing to find."

Zack asked "You really gonna give this a rest if I do this?"

Ivy held up her hands. "Promise."

"Ok," Zack agreed reluctantly, "But you're buying me a pizza if you're going to keep me here all night."

Ivy grinned and hugged him. "Thank you!"

"Hey, I want to help her too." Zack answered, smiling. "Just don't get your hopes too high sis."

"I may have something." Zack announced three hours later, taking a bite of his sixth slice of pizza.

Ivy dashed across the room. "Where are you looking?"

"Her dossier."

Frustrated, Ivy hit the table with the palm of her hand. "That entire thing is a work of fiction."

"Yeah sis, but look at this… It says she's wanted for terrorism and murder. And it says they have confessions."

The girl wrinkled her nose. "Well Carmen doesn't exactly tell the truth when she confesses. You sure that murder charge wasn't for me?"

"Naw" Zack replied. "Beaurocracy's slow but not that slow, sis. They couldn't exactly argue back when you showed up alive."

"Well still." Ivy said. "What makes you think they're right?"

"I don't" Zack explained. "But two things about this creep me out."

Ivy sat down next to him. "And those two things are?"

"First, they gave PDFs of all the documents she supposedly signed… but it doesn't look like her signature."

Ivy nodded "And the other thing?"

"These only went up yesterday."

* * *

_VILE Headquarters, Location Unknown _

Hannah had never felt so worried in her life. That was saying something because, all things considered, she was something of an innate worrier. Bad luck, rainy weather, oversalted popcorn, the alarms expert could be worked up over just about anything.

However, she knew this situation was far more serious than her usual brand of concern.

Five weeks, and Carmen still had not gotten out of bed. At least, their boss had not come out of her rooms.

People were starting to talk.

That whole horrible week had been a dreadful roller coaster of an experience. Carmen's behavior had been terrifyingly out of character, and finding out that the entire thing had been an act was a consummate relief.

It was still frightening.

Hannah remembered how her boss returned from the hospital, barely able to stand.

Her frail silhouette outlined in the door, Carmen had stared out at her employees with burning eyes as if wondering if any might dare to help her.

None had.

Carmen had announced. "Nicholas Moskvani is dead. Detective Ivy is alive. Please disregard the past week as best you can and resume what you were doing before that. Thank you." Her tone was hoarse and dry, a disheartening note that echoed in the tentatively waiting hall.

As excited babble broke out, Carmen had, leaning heavily against the wall, made her way to her suite.

Hannah winced, remembering how Carmen's eyes had been bleary and out of focus. Hunched over, with one arm wrapped around her middle, she had walked stiffly, as if every step were agony.

The alarms expert had wanted, with all of her might, to run to Carmen. She'd yearned to support her boss, to help the way Carmen had helped her when she'd been afraid. Hannah wished she could get Carmen to somewhere where she might be safe from such swine as Nicholas Moskvani.

However Hannah's feet hadn't moved. What a coward she was.

They hadn't seen her since.

There were three main reactions to this, among her henchmen.

Most of them, like Arch and Lars, were ridiculously proud that Carmen could take out a famous arms dealer and live to tell about it. They regarded the entire exploit as proof of her superhuman nature, and told the tale proudly, as if the accomplishments were theirs. As the getaway driver in Ivy's false murder, Arch had already attained something of a celebrity status.

If asked about Carmen's extended leave, they would probably answer with that same saying they'd been using to explain away her post-caper crashes for years. "Carmen's like a robot. She powers down between heists."

Hannah hated that saying. Carmen was no robot. She was flesh and blood, and she had been beaten, drugged, and heaven only knew what else.

It made Hannah sick that Carmen had gone through all that protecting her employees, yet none of them had the nerve to so much as knock on her door to see if she was alright. Not that Hannah was that brave either.

Finally there was the group that Hannah detested most of all, the renegades like Sara and Mason. They had been heard to wonder aloud why they never thought of a sedative. It was enough to make Hannah wish Carmen was the murdering type.

There wasn't any way to fix that either, Hannah thought, picking at her breakfast, alone at her table in the communal cafeteria.

Couldn't they see that Carmen was the lifeblood of their organization, their spirit, their fire? Until they saw the spark back in their boss's high spirited eyes, no one in VILE would be alright. No matter how they dissembled and hid their dependency with bravado, they needed her. Rail as they might against that fact, it was the truth.

Suddenly all conversation stopped dead.

Carmen was standing in the doorway. Wearing her usual attire, and looking none the worse for wear, Carmen apprised her employees.

"I'd like something to eat, please." She said quietly.

"She eats?" Lars whispered incredulously, and Hannah fought down the urge to slap him.

Someone ran to get Carmen a plate.

Their boss circled the room, presenting each person with typed sheet of paper. "Your new assignments. She explained. "For the next cycle of heists.

As Carmen leaned over Hannah's shoulder, the alarms expert whispered. "I'm glad you're not dead."

Eyebrows arched slightly.

"That um… that came out wrong." Hannah muttered.

Carmen lay the assignment down firmly. "So am I."

"Glad you're back boss."

She thought she saw Carmen smile.

* * *

**Player: Back on your feet Carmen?**

**Carmen: Never better player. **

**Player: And you're just going to pretend none of that even happened? **

**Carmen: None of what happened, player? **

**Player: Denial ain't a river in Egypt Carmen. **

**Carmen: Egypt… Nice idea. **

**Player: You know what I meant. Carmen?**

**Carmen: Can't catch me, Player.**


	2. Rockin'

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

"Hang on tight gumshoes. Carmen just stole the entire town of Cairo!"

"In Egypt, this time?"

"Yep." Chief said happily. "Looks like she's feeling better."

"That great!" Zack said, and then thought for a moment about what he was saying. "I think…"

* * *

"So, what's the clue?" Ivy asked.

Zack tossed the stone in his hand and read the carvings. "Church gettin' higher."

"That's what it says?" Ivy asked. "Are you sure?"

Zack glanced down. "Yep. Got any clue what she's talking about Ivy?"

Chief started to search, enthusiastically "Well… let's see. High church typically refers to religion with a lot of ritual… especially with regards to how the Anglican Church is similar to the Catholic Church and…"

Ivy cut off his rant with a quick gesture. "Chief, she's in Jerusalem."

"Where'd you get that from, sis?" Zack asked, impressed by her speed.

"It's a song." Ivy explained.

The other two beings looked at her blankly.

"Rockin' Jerusalem." Ivy named.

Still no sign of recognition.

Ivy sighed. "Church gettin' higher is a line from the call and response section of the spiritual Rockin' Jerusalem."

"OK…." Zack said, "Good Job Ivy. Where in Jerusalem is she going?"

"Thanks! I… um… I don't know." Ivy admitted.

"Rockin' Jersusalem…" Zack muttered to himself, fidgeting with the clue "Rockin' Jerusalem…." He held up the stone inquisitively "Rock in Jerusalem?"

"Wordplay again?"

Zack shrugged. "Carmen loves a good pun. Player, cross reference. On the double!"

"How about Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem?" Chief suggested. "It's a sacred sight for all three Abrahamic religions."

Zack looked at Ivy. "Does that work?"

"Yeah," Ivy answered. "I think so. Player, C5 us there!"

_**

* * *

**_

_Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem_, _Israel_

"You know," Ivy said in annoyance. "I bet Carmen is going after a religious site now just because I pointed out that she usually avoided that…"

"She's got me a little nervous Ives…" Zack admitted. Israel is just about the last place in the world you want to get caught if you've got the word terrorist on your file."

"Well, Carmen does like it fast and dangerous, little bro."

"Yeah, but only someone with a death wish would try…" He cut off at Ivy's glare. "Look I'm just saying that we need to get to her before Massaud or Yasam or some other local group do. This is one of those places where she could easily get shot at and those guys don't miss."

"I take your point…" Ivy said, trying not to dwell on the possibility. "We better move fast."

* * *

Ivy couldn't get over it… She kept expecting Carmen to look tired, or haggard, or… something.

By contrast, the thief was going through the usual movements merrily, as if she didn't have a care in the world.

How could she face all of this just a few weeks ago, and then ignore it?

Apparently with ease…

Carmen didn't miss a beat. As usual, her henchmen were fast and her movements were stellar. As she slid down the dome to the base, landing gracefully, Zack thought to himself that they'd have to catch her on the next stop. She was clearly going to win this one.

"See you soon, detectives…" Carmen said, jumping away from the base of the dome.

It was a move they'd seen her execute half a hundred times. Carmen's feet kicked out forcefully, and her hands worked the line expertly. Any other time, she would have repelled easily off the edge, coming to rest lightly on her heels in a flawless landing.

This time, though, the rope wasn't with her.

Ivy and Zack watched in horror as the line tightened and then suddenly went slack.

Carmen gasped and tried to grab onto the building, but she only succeeded in slowing her fall.

She landed hard on the upper side of the temple base.

The siblings froze, unable to process what had happened, staring at the still form sprawled across the architecture. "Get up…" Ivy whispered, half to herself, as she frenetically tried to find a way down from the dome. "Come on get up."

After a couple of seconds, Carmen groaned and rolled to her side. With some difficulty, she got to her hands and knees, and then her feet.

"Go after her!" Zack yelled to the agents on the ground, as she managed to escape out of range.

"Zack look at this…" Ivy said nervously, holding up the broken end of the rope.

"That was cut?" Zack gasped, looking at the end.

"I think so…" Ivy said, hefting the line. "But I'm not sure."

"I think I know someone who can figure it out." Zack said. "Player. C5 us back to headquarters, stat!"

_**

* * *

**_

_Acme Headquarters, San Francisco_

"She's not even a field agent." Ivy muttered derisively.

"Ceria knows what she's doing…" Zack defended.

"Yeah sure…" Ivy muttered, "If you want to sit in a lab and take days to figure things out."

"Ives…"

"All she has to do is run the machines…"

"It's not like all criminals leave detailed clues like Carmen…" Zack corrected. "And Ceria can find things we can't."

"We are not going to hand this case over to Ceria Labrat!" Ivy snapped. "She's too slow… and scatterbrained and…."

"Blond?" Some one asked, stepping out from behind the door. The girl had wild blond hair, pulled back into a frizzy bun and gigantic wide rimmed glasses.

Zack blushed a brilliant shade of crimson "Hi Ceria."

Ivy rolled her eyes. This was not the time for an adolescent crush.

"What's up?" The young woman asked.

"Um…. We…" Zack stammered.

"We have some things we need you to check!" Ivy broke in impatiently.

"Which case?" Ceria asked, rolling across the lab floor in her desk chair.

"We err…" Ivy tried to explain. "We brought it with us."

Ivy and Ceria looked each other over, with considerable suspicion. "Which case?" Ceria repeated.

"Off the record…" Ivy clarified.

Ceria looked back and forth from Ivy to Zack for a while. "The Sandiego Case.." She inferred shrewdly.

"Yeah…" Zack muttered sheepishly. "Can you help us? Please Cici?"

"Don't call me that…" Ceria said with a flirtatious smile. "What do you want me to look at?"

Ivy held out a printout… "Is this her signature?"

"I'll run it through the system…" Ceria suggested, somewhat astringently. "We certainly have enough of her signatures to compare it too… before and after she switched sides."

Zack and Ivy exchanged baleful glances.

Ceria fed things into the computer and pressed a few buttons. "Want anything while we wait?" she said sweetly to Zack. "I've got some cookies and pizza."

"Yeah um… sure thanks…

Ivy rolled her eyes.

"Could you look this over in the mean time?" She asked, half demanding.

"A piece of rope…" Ceria deadpanned.

"Did it break on its own?" Ivy demanded, "Or was it cut?"

Ceria turned the material over it her gloved hands. "You see on the outside, it looks frayed," She commented, "But on the inside the fibers all broke at the same point."

"What does that mean Cici?" Zack asked, smiling.

"Means your rope was cut in the middle, so it would look normal but break when Carmen put her weight on it."

Ivy glared.

"Oh come on," Ceria said condescendingly. "She's not _that_ mysterious. I'm just jealous that she's got a mass spec in her closet." The machine beeped, and Ceria turned around to grab the readout.

"You told her that?" Ivy mouthed.

"Why not?" Zack mouthed back. "Didn't know it was a secret."

Ceria turned around, a solemn look on her face. "The handwriting is consistent…" The expert said slowly… "If her hand was shaking. It would have had to be shaking quite a lot though, so I wouldn't give a fig for her mental state when she wrote this."

"Listen, I'm sorry about all the extra work." Zack said.

"It's no trouble." Ceria responded. "I get it."

"Get what?" The redhead asked.

"She's the one case that you can't get over. Everyone has one eventually."

"What was yours?" Zack asked.

"Rape case." Ceria replied tersely. "Tried to get a profile from degraded DNA. Thought I could, but I wasn't that good. Never found the guy."

"This just in gumshoes." Chief announced somberly. "A local patrol in Israel just caught Carmen. It looks like she didn't make it too far from the Dome. And we all know how unlike her it is not to make a clean escape, so go check if she's OK, would ya?"


	3. Blindfolded

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

_Acme Regional Headquarters, Tel Aviv, Isreal._

"You did what?" Zack snapped, shouting at the local acme agent who was trying to explain himself.

The agent was not amused. "We tied her and blindfolded her, just like her file said to. Then we transported her back to headquarters and left her bound in the courtyard. Again, like it said to!"

"Without giving her any water? Or putting her in the shade? It's blazing hot out there right now." Ivy challenged.

"Look I just did what it said." The man defended.

Zack had already taken off running.

"She can't be blindfolded!" He called over his shoulder to Ivy. "She has flashbacks."

Behind him, he heard Ivy curse.

He ripped the blindfold off and met Carmen's glazed eyes, blank of recognition.

"Carmen…" He asked… "Carmen…"

No answer. Zack swore violently, but she heard the cusses no more than anything else.

"Come on Carmen," he whispered. "Snap out of it…"

After a few moments with her face turned to the light, she twitched her head abruptly, as if trying to force the images away.

"Carmen?"

"Yes…" a shivering response.

"Can you tell me what day it is?" He questioned.

"It's… It's a Thursday…"

Another question… "Can you tell me what city you're in?" That question was probably more difficult for her than it would be for most people.

Carmen thought about it and begins to shake again. "No… I don't know. I don't…"

"Ok, Ok!" Zack answered hastily. "How about the country?"

"Israel…" She stammered. "I…" Carmen seemed to find her bearings. "I was blindfolded."

His chest hurt. "Yes, you were."

"Why…" Carmen rasped. "Why would you do that?"

"I didn't know." He apologized, kneeling next to her. "I swear I didn't know. Someone put a note in your file and the local police assumed."

Carmen looked awful, bloodshot eyes, dirt-smudged face, creased skin.

He put a hand on her shoulder, half supporting her, and undid one side of her handcuffs, tethering her to him instead of to herself.

"I'm sorry…" Carmen said bitterly. "I must look an incompetent fool."

"You're not…" Zack began, but suddenly Carmen moved.

"Down!" She shouted, tackling him and forcing him, face first, onto the warm ground.

He almost laughed, "Carmen, there's nothing…"

Then he heard the shots…. Machine guns, heavy fire, inches from their heads.

The thief had both their cuffed hands pressed into the back of his neck, keeping him low. Her body was sprawled over his and every tendon was tight … keeping him in the hot dust.

Through his utter and complete surprise, Zack was also a bit amazed. He hadn't known Carmen was that muscular.

Well, he'd known she have to be tough to pull of the kind of moves that accompanied her heists. However, that intellectual knowledge was something quite different from the very tactile concept of strength he was experiencing.

Then again, the mind did crazy things when it was under this kind of pressure. Here he was, getting shot at, and all he could think about was how many pull ups Carmen could probably do.

Not that he had anything else to occupy his time with. He certainly wasn't about to stand up.

They heard the police start to shoot back… and then, mercifully, the sounds of the gunshots evaporated altogether.

When the silence began, Carmen immediately got off him, pulling him to stand with her. Ivy was a few feet away, still hugging the dirt.

"Someone is trying to kill me…" The thief announced to Ivy.

"I'll admit it certainly looks like someone's trying to kill one of us." The detective replied, getting to her feet.

"Take off my jacket." Carmen demanded.

Zack blushed.

"Or you could just push it back." The thief explained pragmatically. "But you need to see this." She was pulling at the neckline awkwardly, with her left hand, a necessity as the right hand was still tethered tightly to Zack.

If anything, Zack got redder.

Carmen rolled her eyes impatiently "Really now, detective. I do wear a tank top under my coat you know…" She managed to get a few buttons undone. "This is serious."

When Zack still failed to move, Ivy crossed the ground and slid the coat off Carmen's shoulders. "Sorry, my brother's being an idiot." A second later, she cursed.

"Believe me now?"

"I think so…" Ivy muttered… seeing the pattern of wounds on Carmen's shoulder and back. "Is that from shrapnel?"

"No…Broken glass, from an explosion. I was lucky." The thief answered shortly. "That could have been much worse. I only got a few small pieces."

"You need to go to a hospital." Zack informed her.

"No." Carmen refused.

"Carmen we've got to get you to a doctor. There could still be shards in this." Ivy paraphrased.

"No."

"You've must be in a lot of pain. Don't you want clean bandages and some medicine." Zack wheeled.

"They will follow me there and I will not have innocent people hurt…"

"Do you even know who they are?" Ivy snapped and instantly regretted it.

"No, I do not." Carmen said coldly.

"We've got a body!" Someone shouted.

A middle-aged woman, with dark hair and eyes was lying in the square, her clothes bloody. Dead eyes stared at the sky.

"Oh no…" Ivy heard Carmen gasp.

"You know her, thief?" One of the police demanded, jabbing a gun preemptively into Carmen's back.

"That's Malika…" Carmen muttered.

"One of yours?" Zack asked gently.

"Yes…" Carmen admitted. "But she was supposed to be in Peru and…" sadly, she shook her head. "I just don't understand it…"

Ivy knelt by the body and touched it. "She's cold."

The officer shrugged "One less thief in the world. Seems like a good thing. As long as she wasn't an honest citizen."

The corners of Carmen's eyes tightened, but she remained quiet.

Furiously, Ivy slapped the acme agent, full armed and twice. Hissing, she tried to regain control of herself. "Don't you ever," She growled. "Say something like that again."

Carmen silently watched the exchange.

_**

* * *

**_

_Acme Headquarters, San Francisco_

"Hello" Dara began, "You don't know me but I'm…"

"You're Acme's medical examiner." Carmen deadpanned efficiently. "Dara Wilson. Hometown: Trenton New Jersey. Moved to the West Coast when you attended Stanford. 4.0 GPA in undergraduate. Third in your class at medical school. Your best friend is Carson Davis and you write poetry in your spare time."

"Oh…"

Carmen glanced up "I've stolen a few files in my day. I like to read up on my adversaries, and you're the best ME Acme's had in a long time. Not to mention that you'll more than likely be doing my autopsy someday… That merits some research."

"Someone needs to look you over for injuries."

"I've taken care of that…" Carmen answered flatly.

A stern reply. "Slapping on a dressing and changing your coat doesn't count."

"Very well." Carmen conceded briskly. "After we finish with Malika."

Dara switched to a more blunt tone. "Can you identify your employee?"

Carmen nodded, and Dara led her towards the table, as Zack and Ivy followed a few feet back. Carefully, the ME pulled back the sheet.

"Malika Demsiri." Carmen recited. "Originally from Algeria. She's been working for VILE for almost ten years now, as a runner and odd jobs mostly. I suppose I'm the closest she has to a next of kin."

"Thank you." Dara answered professionally.

"Was she in much pain?" Carmen asked with a floating voice.

"No." Dara answered. "Death would have been almost instantaneous."

Carmen nodded slowly. "Were there any signs of assault on her?"

"Nothing recent. It was very quick." The ME offered.

"Recent?" Zack mouthed to Ivy over Carmen's shoulder.

"You're saying that to make me feel better." Carmen whispered. "Don't hedge, Miss Wilson. I can take it."

The ME rejected the notion. "I'm saying that because it's true. She might have felt the first couple of bullets hit, depending on their order. But one of them was straight between the eyes and that would have dropped her before she could twitch." She looked at the ground. "And you can call me Dara."

"She wasn't killed in Tel Aviv…" Carmen inferred.

"No…" Dara conceded. "From the time of death it looks as though she was transported, then dropped at the scene during the fire fight."

The thief blinked a couple of times and then turned. "There's something else you should know about her." Carmen volunteered, addressing Ivy. "And I hope it has nothing to do with her murder.

"What's that?" The detective replied.

"She is… was.. the only living person I know… knew… who could verify what happened to me in Morocco."

"How is that?" Zack breathed.

"She was there too… Malika escaped with me."


	4. Red Hat

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

_OK, so my name's Carmen Sandiego_

Suhara heard the ragged voice on the tape begin, as the second section commenced.

_But you have probably already guessed that…_

_Everything you've just heard was exactly what it sounded like. _

_The man's voice was Nicholas Moskvani. _

Her husky tone shook a little when pronouncing the name.

_And as this chip contains his confessions to several murders, including the murder of my secretary, Bridgette Thompson, which I witnessed, and the attempted murder of Detective Ivy of the Acme Detective Agency…_

Her inflection surged.

_I will do everything in my power to maintain its veracity. _

Suhara's eyes creased more deeply, remembering how he had drilled Carmen on chain of evidence, back when they were both much younger. That had been lighthearted and playful.

_First, I will remove the chip, which I have hidden in my arm, within a cut. I'll leave the blood on it, in case you want to confirm that. _

_Then I will take physical evidence from my body to confirm for you that the man I was with is indeed Nicholas Moskvani._

The tone was thick with disgust and some fear.

_I suppose it should be clear to all of you that he volunteered the information. I didn't coerce him to talk because, as you've heard, I couldn't get him to shut up. _

Carmen's tone was sharp and she was practically spitting the syllables. Then the anger drained and the timbre fell off.

_I couldn't get him to stop much of anything._

Half hysterical laughter.

_Sick bastard._

That bit was almost inaudible.

_I will document and bag everything according to the procedure as it stood ten years ago when I left the agency. _

Though trying to take a professional tone, Carmen couldn't keep the emotion out of her voice.

_I will further write and sign my own statement, attesting to the facts as I have recited them here._

He could hear her trying not to cry.

_I will allow this chip to continue to record without pausing it or stopping it, until I pass it off to more trustworthy authorities, thus proving for you that my timeline is accurate.. _

A few heavy breaths….

_You may not trust me, but I do not want to give you any excuse to let that misbegotten lowlife out again._

Anger at least indicated a little spirit, Suhara thought sadly.

_When that's done. I'm going to the Limelight in New York city, to pass this evidence off to Detectives Suhara and Zack. Detective Suhara was my teacher and my partner back when I was a… a decent human being. _

Her voice broke, and tears leapt to Suhara's eyes.

_And Detective Zack has always been kind to me, despite… what I am. _

_Regarding my mental state as it stands at this moment, I am currently, physically and mentally, in a lot of pain. So I'm sorry if I…_

Suhara could hear Carmen retch violently, gagging and heaving through heavy sobs

_Sorry…. I'm sorry. I don't know what's the matter with me. We don't have time for this. Here, let me…_

The door clicked open. Suhara quickly turned off the recording.

"Dude, stop torturing yourself." Zack said.

"What do you need, Zack?" The master asked.

"I'm worried about Carmen. She's just lying down on this bench in the holding cell and she hasn't moved."

"Is she asleep?" Suhara suggested.

"Her eyes are open, and she blinks." Zack clarified, "But she's just been lying there like a corpse for hours and it's freaking me out."

Suhara rose. "I'll go talk to her."

* * *

"You're worrying the children." Suhara commented, opening the door to the holding cell and then shutting it behind him.

Carmen's hands were folded on her stomach, her hair was fanned out underneath her, and her numb eyes directed towards the ceiling. "How?"

"By staying so still." The master explained. "'like a corpse', Zack's words."

She blinked once. "There's no reason to move."

"There is now." Suhara answered holding out a mug of tea, "Join me?"

Carmen swung her legs around so she was sitting up. "Fine." She said, warming her hands against the drink.

Not breaking eye contact they both took a sip.

"You remembered how I like my tea." Carmen remarked, somewhat awkwardly.

"I am sorry, Carmen." Suhara began. "For the last ten years…"

Carmen shook her head. "The last ten years were not the problem. I was happy Suhara, really."

"You don't look contented now."

"Of course not." Carmen's lips curled cynically. "Someone's trying to kill me, but I was fine before all this started."

"And you did not sound fine on that tape." Suhara elaborated.

"How many times did you listen to it?" Carmen asked, halfway between concerned and angry.

"Too many." Suhara said. "I heard you crying, Carmen. I'm so sorry…"

"Would you believe." Carmen said, laughing uncertainly, "That I was actually fine until Ivy told me I didn't have to touch him…. That I had a choice. I mean, I was hurting but I was coping and then she tells me it's not fair…" She either coughed or sobbed, "Like I didn't know that already and suddenly it's all I can do to keep going."

"Carmen."

"I mean that's just silly, right?" She shook her head in a self-effacing manner. "I should be able to either go through with things or not without breaking down in the middle."

"Your reaction was normal, my dear." Suhara offered gently.

"I've always tried to be something better than normal." Carmen retorted.

"Yes…" Suhara muttered sourly. "Yes you have."

Carmen commented dryly. "Now you sound angry."

"You're bloody right I'm angry!" Suhara shouted, jumping up, as Carmen's teacup shattered on the floor.

Recovering quickly from her surprise, Carmen stared at him quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Suhara asked, with tears welling in his eyes. "You were only a child. You were… blast it all Carmen you were like my daughter. I should have been scaring off your prom date … not watching you leave on an international op without even telling me."

"Suhara?" Carmen gasped in a young voice.

"How could you have been so proud, so foolish!"

Carmen bowed her head.

"I would have told them no!" Suhara growled. "I never would have let them risk you like that. Any fool could see that sending a teenaged girl after an international arms dealer…." He was breathing too hard to finish the sentence. "Why didn't you tell me Carmen-Chan?" he wheezed. "Why didn't you let me protect you?"

"Suhara… I did tell you.."

"What?" he said in disbelief. "Carmen I'm old but I would remember that"

Carmen looked incredibly tired. "Suhara don't you recall what our code for an undercover operation was?"

He cast around desperately, but couldn't think of the answer. Maybe he really was getting too old.

"Oh Suhara…." Carmen said softly. "Suhara… I thought you would…. It was _red hat_."


	5. Screen

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

"Hey, Carmen?" Chief said gently, materializing at the edge of her bench.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, though she had not really been asleep. "What is it Chief? Did they find anything?"

"No." He clarified. "It's just… I miss you. I never see you anymore. You don't talk to me."

"Chief look… I'm really sorry I didn't tell you." Carmen said. "I just couldn't risk it."

"Do you have any clue what I went through these last few weeks." Chief whined. "I thought you were a murderer and I still liked you. That… well I think that hurt and I didn't even know that I could feel pain."

"Yes." Carmen acknowledged. "That's a fault in your programming."

Chief frowned. "I'd like to think of it as something good in my programming, but if you insist."

"That's not what I meant…" Carmen said. "It's not your compassion that's misprogrammed. I… it…" She sighed. "Chief, you're programmed to be loyal to the first person you had extended positive interactions with. That gives you consistency, but your programmer did not account for my defection. You had no way to account for betrayal. That pain you experienced was the loyalty parameter conflicting with everything else."

Chief's eyes watered a little.

"I…" Carmen said hesitantly, reaching out a hesitant hand towards the screen. "I can fix that if you want. Wire in an exception so you don't feel that way about me."

"I…." Chief stammered. "I would hate you?"

"Well…" Carmen said clinically. "Dislike at least. You would not feel much towards me, at all. You'd want to put me in jail, but that's about it."

"You would do that?" Chief asked.

Carmen blinked a couple of times. "If it would spare you that pain…then yes. Strictly speaking it's… probably the healthiest thing for you." She said softly.

Chief considered for a moment. "I'd rather be in pain than stop caring about you." He chose.

She nodded, looking a little relieved. "Will you at least let me tighten up your security protocols?" Carmen suggested. "If Zack and I can program out most of the ways to breach the system, I'd be able to tell you more."

"You want to mess with my files after what happened last time with my nose?" Chief teased.

"Why chief…" Carmen said with a flirtatious smile. "You know I'll be gentle."

* * *

"Come on!" Zack growled at the computer. "Compile!"

"You'll never get it to work if you don't fix this loop, detective." Carmen offered helpfully, pointing at the blond's screen. The thief and the Zack were sitting against the wall in the holding cell, each with laptops propped against their knees.

"Oh… thanks." Zack answered bashfully.

"No problem." Carmen said, as her typing speed did not flag. "How are you feeling Chief?"

"Never better." He announced happily.

Carmen smiled, but a moment later, frowned. "Now I can't seem to …"

Zack glanced over. "Yeah, his firewall is an older type. We might want to replace that altogether. I can do that if you'll defrag this section here…"

They switched computers. "Are you putting me on cleaning duty, detective?" Carmen suggested.

"Um… not if you don't want to be…" Zack said sheepishly.

Carmen pushed against him playfully. "Don't look so nervous, detective. Just show me what you did. I've never had to build one of these manually before, so I'm better at breaking them apart."

"You just want to see how to get through it." Zack teased.

"Maybe, detective." Carmen said with a wink.

"You sure they aren't related?" Ivy asked Suhara as they watched from the next room.

"No." Suhara said with a nostalgic look. "For all we know, she could be related to both of you."

"Kind of makes me sad that we don't have any unaccounted for relatives in the family tree." Ivy muttered.

"Can you imagine the holidays?" Suhara quipped. "Carmen stealing the last slice of pie at thanksgiving…."

"Cute, Suhara." Ivy rolled her eyes. "Real cute."

_**

* * *

**_

"Chief says he wants a rest…" Zack informed Ivy, as he locked the door to the holding cell behind him. "Without us changing his files."

"Makes sense…" Ivy said. "The two of you have been at it for hours."

"Yeah…" Zack said. "And have you seen Carmen program? I mean, her coding is totally amazing, sis!"

"She didn't know how to do that firewall…" Ivy suggested.

"I think she may have just been humoring me…" Zack muttered. "At least the rest of her codes were tight. Really high level. Like…. Elegant and stuff…"

Suhara glanced back into the cell. "Does she want a rest?" The thief was curled up in the corner, but was still balancing the laptop on her knees, watching chief snore on the screen.

"She says she's alright…" Zack said, as the image of the chief switched to a photo slide show screensaver. "Don't know that I believe her, but I don't think we should push the issue."

"I still think we should have taken her to a hospital…" Ivy commented direly.

"I don't want her getting shot at again…" Zack replied protectively. "And you know as well as I do Ives that forcing Carmen to take help never works out well."

"Yeah," Ivy retorted, "Because she usually runs away."

Suhara shook his head sadly. "She has always feared protection almost as much as she feared the actual danger."

"By the way…" Zack said. "That reminds me. Much as I hate to bring this up, I think someone should be watching Carmen."

"You think she'll try to escape?" Ivy asked, realizing with some sadness that this was a definite possibility.

"I think she'll try something…" Zack said. "Something she could get hurt trying."

They both looked through the bars at the woman, watching the progression of the photos on the screen, smiling as an adorable photo of Zack and Ivy as children appeared for a few seconds.

"I'll go first…" Ivy began practically "If Suhara you'll go next and Zack can…"

Suddenly, all three of them spun around at the sound of an ear-spitting shriek.

Carmen had thrown the laptop away from her, and was staring at it at though it might attack her. Eyes wide with terror, she shook.

"Red…" she whispered in a dead tone… "I don't know. I don't know. I don't remember the rest…. Red…"

Suhara threw open the door to the cell and rushed to her. "Carmen?"

"Red…" Carmen shivered convulsively. "Red… Suhara help…."

"It's alright…" Suhara chanted. "You're safe…"

Carmen's eyes rolled back and she almost fell.

"Whoa…" Zack gasped, managing at the last moment to help Suhara check her descent. "Easy…"

Ivy looked at the thief with half suspicion, closing the door behind her. "What's wrong?"

Suhara had a hand on the Carmen's back, supporting her. "Feel your feet on the ground. Feel your breath…" He instructed.

"Suhara, I'm afraid." She whispered.

Zack and Ivy exchanged distressed glances. They knew that in order to get Carmen to admit to that, the situation must be dire indeed.

"What's causing your fear?" Suhara asked, in a voice of steady control.

Carmen pointed.

"The computer?" Ivy asked, incredulous. Carmen had spent half the night with that machine in her lap.

"Something you saw on the computer?" Zack guessed somewhat more specifically.

Repeated nods…

"In the slide show?" Ivy suggested, still furious at having to play this infernal guessing game.

Another agreement…

"Zack, can you pull up what she saw?

The blond starting scrolling through the recent pictures. At each new one, Carmen shook her head…. Until….

She shied back into Suhara's arms, as though trying to flee.

"This one?" Zack asked.

Carmen nodded, with her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Ivy looked over the photo, an awards ceremony. "Carmen, there's no one in that photo except me!"

"The person who's shaking your hand…" Carmen explained, forcing herself to look at the screen.

"You can only see their forearm." Zack said nervously.

"It's… enough…" Carmen gasped.

As forearms went, it was certainly very intricate. It had a huge, incredibly detailed dragon tattoo, with streams of flame curled around several birthmarks. Ivy doubted there were two in the world like it.

"Where do you recognize this from?" Zack asked, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"Morocco…" Carmen rasped.

The detectives exchanged very nervous looks. "On another captive right?" Zack asked, hoping.

"No…" Carmen whispered. "He… he was in charge, and I assumed he must be American because he went masked. I never saw his face… but I saw that tattoo whenever he…." She cut off sharply, air hissing through her teeth.

"She." Ivy said, hating her clarification.

"What?"

Zack clarified. "The person in that photo is female."

"That…" Carmen said, furrowing her brow as though she couldn't quite process the information. "That explains a lot." Suddenly she turned to them, half-angry. "You know who this is?"

"Carmen that's Leanne Catania… the director of Acme!"


	6. Mea Culpa

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

Through default, if not choice, the detectives all found themselves sitting in the holding cell, staring at Carmen.

Ivy was trying to read her face, to discern whether she might be telling the truth. The two scenarios were equally frightening. Either Carmen's words were false, and the thief they'd begun to trust was going to irreparably damage the agency with what might be her lowest trick yet or…

Or Ivy had been working for a monster.

The angry scars and fresh bandages on Carmen's arms drew the detective's attention to them once again.

Someone had done that.

That was neither illusion nor trick.

Someone had poured caustic chemicals onto Carmen's skin, had cut her with a blade, listened to her scream.

Ivy tried her best to dissociate, but she couldn't clear the images from her mind. Still frames of how Carmen had been suffering flashed sporadically before her eyes.

... Carmen's hot sticky blood gushing, as the thief hastily tried to tell her story before she died.

... The tiny flinch every time someone looked at her arms.

... The tear tracks running down the thief's face as she cried in her sleep.

... Dead eyes staring aimlessly in the midst of a flashback.

... The cold pragmatic tone in Carmen's voice as she likened her body to 'just flesh' while her eyes begged Ivy not to send her back to Nicholas.

Beneath the arrogance, poise, and perfection, there was something within Carmen that was desolate and tormented.

It killed Ivy to see Carmen feign indifference, as if she weren't worth saving. Someone had created that fatalistic attitude, taught her that ultimately she was on her own.

It had been bad enough when that person was an anonymous foreign entity.

Now, Carmen claimed that person was Leanne Catania.

If that was true, then Ivy's entire perception of the world was a lie.

Though the director was relatively new to her post… the notion that the agency would promote someone capable of that sort of cruelty to be their leader made Ivy feel sick.

She had admired Leanne Catania. More like idolized her. It wasn't every day a woman managed to rise to the leadership of such a large law enforcement agency.

It was the second time in her life an idol had betrayed her and it felt even worse than the last time.

Carmen could still be dissembling.

Under all of the scrutiny, Carmen didn't move. She simply sat, with eyes downcast, as if waiting to see what they would do.

The door opened.

"I've found something I think you should all look at." Ceria Labrat said.

"We didn't give you anything to work with." Ivy complained.

"No you certainly didn't." Ceria muttered. "But Dara did."

All four stood up.

"The three of you can come." Ceria said. "But I am not taking anyone with Carmen's record of stealing things anywhere near my equipment."

Carmen shrugged and leaned against the wall casually, but Zack's mouth worked, as if he wasn't sure which woman he wanted to defend.

"You coming?" Ceria asked, and, as she walked through the door, she took off her sky blue sweatshirt and threw it to Carmen. "Cover up your arms." She said coldly. "There's not a person in this room who can stop staring at them."

* * *

"OK Ceria," Zack said placatingly, as the three detectives plus Dara gathered in her lab. "What did you find?"

"Your murder victim had blood on her." Ceria explained. "But it wasn't all hers. Some it belonged to a Mary Stuart. A lot of it actually, her shirt was really soaked in it."

"Mary Stuart? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I checked." Ceria said. "And she's unharmed. Mary Stuart is an Acme janitor."

"Any record on this Mary?" Ivy demanded.

"You think she could work for Acme with a record?" Ceria derided. "No of course not. Moreover, Mary has an alibi to boot. She gave blood at a company blood drive and somehow it ended up on Malika's blouse. No one seems to know how."

Ivy took a deep breath. "Ceria, Dara, you should know that this trail leads very deep into the hierarchy of Acme. If you want plausible deniability, you should probably leave this alone."

Zack met his sister's eyes, realizing with significance that Ivy had just declared that she believed Carmen.

"When someone ends up on my table." Dara answered. "I want to know who put them there. And I don't care if the murderer thinks they have power."

Ivy nodded. "And you Ceria? We can keep you out of this."

"No one will think any less of you if you don't want to be involved Cici." Zack offered.

"I'll do it." Ceria said steadily.

Eyebrows raised in surprise.

"But you don't even like Carmen!" Ivy exclaimed.

"You don't have to like someone to get justice for them." Ceria explained. "And I'm not going to back out of the most important case of my career just because she's involved."

"And if this ends up getting us all fired or put in jail?"

Ceria shrugged. "I've done stupider things. Albeit not very often."

* * *

"We're going to let you out of the cell." Zack told Carmen. "And we're not going to handcuff you. On one condition. You don't try to escape without telling us goodbye. We've been down that road before, and it wasn't fun."

Carmen considered for a moment. "OK. I agree. What did you find?"

Ivy filled her in. "So we're going to help you any way we can, and I'd say the first order of business is to get out of here. Leanne has more power here than us."

"Carmen nodded. Works for me detective."

"We can't use anything of the agency's unless we absolutely have to." Ivy judged.

"I have stashes for times like this. Money, tools, necessities." Carmen said. "The nearest one is at a storage facility down the street from the agency." She held out a key.

Zack took the proffered item.

"I have two security settings inside. The first password's Kyrie Elesion." Carmen informed Zack. "The second is Mea Culpa." She glanced at Ivy's face. "Not a word out of you, detective."

Ivy bit her lip to keep from commenting.

"Suhara and I can buy food and some other short term supplies." Carmen volunteered. "Zack and Ivy can go get the kit. Meet at fisherman's Warf, Pier 35 when you're done."

Ivy nodded. "Deal."

"Watch your back." Carmen added seriously.


	7. Vinegar

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

"Carmen I'm going to ask you a question and I don't want you to take it the wrong way." Ivy began, as she bit into her peanut butter sandwich.

Carmen took another bite of her pickles. "What?"

"Are you pregnant?"

The thief choked. "What? No."

"You sure?" Ivy persisted.

"Certain." Carmen replied steadily.

"Am I missing something?" Zack interjected.

"OK, that's a good thing. Never mind." Ivy recanted.

Carmen shivered dramatically. "I should think so. Could you imagine bearing that monster a child?"

Zack waved his arms. "I'm getting really confused here."

Carmen glanced once in his direction and then dismissed him. "Where did that come from, Ivy?"

Ivy gestured at their plates.

"Oh." Carmen said, suddenly getting it. "You thought that because of what I'm eating."

The plate was piled high with various types of pickles, cheese, and flavored potato chips. "Is that normal?" Ivy asked.

Carmen gestured over her shoulder. "Suhara back me up on this one, please."

"That really is normal for her." The teacher conceded. "When she gets worried, she starts wanting vinegar. Everything pickled. I remember one time in Scandinavia she piled a bunch of sauerkraut on pickled herring and…"

Zack wrinkled his nose.

Smiling, Carmen said, "You're ruining my image, Sensei."

Suhara ruffled her hair affectionately. "You could try craving chocolate like an average American woman."

"I'm not average." She answered sweetly. "In fact, 297 days of the year, I'm not even American."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "You counted?"

Carmen shrugged. "Good record keeping is key to any endeavor, detective."

"Don't you start doing that mentor thing again, Carmen..."

The thief finished her pickles. "Why not Ivy?"

"I am not going to start listening to a thief."

Carmen winked. "I'm good at this, detective. You'd do well to take some pointers."

"If you two are done with whatever argument you're having…" Zack said. "We need to figure out what we're going to do."

* * *

They filled Carmen in on Ceria's revelation.

"So some random woman named Mary Stuart is involved in this?" Carmen asked.

"Guess so." Chief said. "I was kind of hoping you'd know a Mary Stuart."

Carmen thought for a few moments. "The only Mary Stuart I know was a historical figure."

"Who was that?" Zack asked.

"Mary Queen of Scots." Carmen explained.

"Care for an infoscan player?" Ivy suggested.

"Better not Ivy…" Carmen said carefully. "Chief do you know anything about this just offhand?"

"OK So…" Chief began. "Mary Queen of Scots was the Catholic ruler of Scotland while Elizabeth the First was the protestant ruler of England."

"Something tells me there's more to the story than that." Zack commented.

"You betcha gumshoe." The head continued. "They were cousins. And both of them thought the throne of English was theirs."

"By the time they got done fighting, detectives." Carmen continued. "Elizabeth had Mary beheaded."

"And I thought the two of you fought a lot." Chief said.

"Isn't that the same Elizabeth I whose father had her mother's head chopped off?"

"Yep…"

Carmen leaned back on her elbows. "That family had some serious issues, detective, but England also prospered under Elizabeth's rule."

"Ok," Zack said. "So maybe the killer is doing some sort of weird role reversal thing and throwing us clues. Where would you go for a clue about Mary Stuart's blood Carmen?"

"Probably the place she was executed, detectives." Suggested the thief. "There are plenty of grisly stories about that… it took several strikes of the ax to kill her and the first one missed her neck entirely. More than morbid enough for our mystery murderer."

"Tower of London?" Ivy asked and then without thinking began. "Player would you…?"

"Not tower of London." Carmen said before the infoscan could begin. "Fotheringhay Castle. James I had it destroyed and there's not much to see but I suggest we look anyway."

"How do you do that?" Zack asked.

"We didn't always have infoscan, detective. Back when I was a detective we had to live by our wits."

"We had this argument already, Carmen." Ivy said irritably. "Remember? You lost."

"Well I don't trust the C5 this time." Carmen said. "So I suggest we get some plane tickets."

* * *

"I can't believe the two of you actually fought over who would sit next to me." Carmen muttered in exasperation from her place on the plane.

"This works though." Zack said happily. He was sitting by the aisle, Ivy by the window. Suhara was one row back.

Carmen rolled her eyes.

"You are comfortable enough, right?" Zack asked, suddenly second-guessing himself. "Because we can switch if you…"

"I'm fine, detective." Carmen answered lightly. "Don't worry so much."

Zack hesitated. "Are you going to try to sleep?" He asked softly, gesturing to Suhara and Ivy, who were both dormant.

"No." Carmen refused. "I'm not tired enough for that yet."

"Yeah," Zack said toughly. "Me neither."

Carmen hesitated for a moment and asked. "Are you doing alright, Zack?"

"Yes." Then he sighed. "No. I'm totally scared out of my wits."

"I am so sorry." She whispered, "To bring you into this. This is my fight."

Zack answered firmly. "It's all of our fights, Carmen."

"I should have just taken it and kept quiet." Carmen muttered bitterly. "I had no cause to speak. I did not want to die with you hating me, and so I risked your lives. This is my fault."

"Listen," the young man said intensely. "None of this was your fault."

Carmen shook her head, as though she could not believe him. "I was fine. Then I spoke and everything got so out of control."

"You were in denial." Zack analyzed. "Being numb all of the time wasn't healthy either."

Shifting her weight slightly, the thief muttered. "Who decided denial was such a bad thing? At least it worked."

Zack looked sadly at her silhouette. "You're hurt really bad, aren't you?."

"Yes…" Carmen admitted reluctantly.

"You know I'd take it away if I could." Zack said.

"That's why you and your sister are such good people. You don't like seeing anyone hurt, even someone like me."

"This isn't philosophy." Zack argued. "We especially don't want to see you hurt."

"I've never been able to understand that…" Carmen mused.

"Can you really not see how amazing you are?" Zack asked.

Carmen shrugged. "There you have it. The arrogance is just a cover… I don't think there's anything special about me at all…"

"Well you're wrong." Zack answered fervently. "I mean, I know you're not usually wrong and all but you're wrong about this."

Carmen didn't answer for a long time.

"Umm Carmen." Zack said hesitantly.

She turned her head towards him. 'Yes, what is it?"

"I'm uh… going to try and get some sleep. Would it be too awkward if I leaned on your shoulder?"

"Go ahead," Carmen offered softly. "I don't mind."

It wasn't until later that he remembered how badly her shoulder had been torn up, that resting his head on it was almost certainly causing her pain.

Zack never would have asked it he'd realized, and he wondered why she agreed.


	8. Star Kicking

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

_Fotheringhay, England _

There truly was not much of anything left of the famous castle. A bit of stonework here and a nearby magnificent church with the same name seemed to be the best they could do. Ignoring the soaring building for the time being, the searchers separated and walked along the spindly bushes, hunched over, watching the ground.

"What are we looking for?" Zack called to Carmen, as he tried to clear the jetlag from his eyes.

"Anything, detective." Carmen called back, leaning down, either to examine a bit of stone of to rest against it. Closing her eyes, she turned her face to the wind.

Looking down the hill, Zack signed impatiently, watching the grey sky against the dismal green ground. In this dapple world, Carmen's red coat would have stood out like a poorly chosen motif, so he was oddly glad that she wore Ceria's sweatshirt instead. Even if the change of clothing did some damage to her usual persona...

"Like a note?" Ivy asked, crossing her arms in front of her to keep in the warmth, as the elevated breeze whipped her hair behind her. "With your name on it?"

Carmen turned on her heels. "Well, someone's making this easy, then."

The agent handed the note over.

A business size envelope, with Carmen's full name scrawled disorderedly in blue ballpoint pen seemed entirely too mundane for the situation, but Zack gave himself a little shake and instructed himself to be calm. Did he expect it to be written in blood or something? Still, the murderer might have bothered to find a pen that was not running out of ink.

Tearing open the envelope, Carmen lowered her eyes numbly.

"What's it say?" Zack demanded audaciously.

Carmen closed the envelope again, and pushed a strand of hair over her ear. "Nothing."

Ivy reached for the envelope anyway, but Carmen checked her advance with a sharp hand. "Detective, you've got to leave this case alone. I'll deal with it on my own."

"Ten minutes ago you were all gung ho to find Malika's murderer." Zack protested. "What changed?"

"They never threatened you before." Carmen grated darkly, as the muscles on her throat suddenly stood out in sharp contrast.

Snatching the paper away, Ivy asked, "What did they say?" After a couple of lines, her eyes went ridiculously wide.

"Easy, detective." The thief said quickly, winding her hands under Ivy's arm to steady her.

"Wow…" Ivy gasped, swallowing convulsively. "Those threats sure are…. Explicit."

"Do you see now why it's better you leave this to me." Carmen asked gently, taking the document back before Zack could attempt to see it. "You are not prepared for that sort of thing, detective."

"Don't be ridiculous." Ivy retorted. "We're not leaving you."

Carmen waited passively for Ivy to push her back before she let go.

"Is 'harlot' usually Leanne's name for you?" Ivy asked, fiddling with her hair and looking everywhere but at the quiet thief.

"Most of the time. It's something of a pet name with her." Carmen admitted. "The rest of the time, it's 'tramp.'"

Ivy and Carmen exchanged significant glances.

"Oh." Ivy finally deadpanned.

"It could just be a coincidence of words." Carmen commented dryly. "After all those are… hardly unheard of…"

The counterfeit smile fooled no one.

"You don't think it's a coincidence." Ivy stated.

"I am not at my most objective, detective. Right now, all I want is you out of this and somewhere you can be safe. "

"Carmen the threat wasn't for if we didn't follow." Ivy clarified. "The writer _ordered_ us to follow her."

"Follow her where?" Zack asked.

"I don't know," Ivy said, delving into the envelope. "But she left this…"

The detective held up a couple of plants.

"Flowers?"

Carmen started to walk away, taking long confident strides along the downward grade.

Hastily, they followed. "Where are we going?"

"A library, detectives!" Carmen called over her shoulder. "Don't you know how to look anything up by hand?"

Then the ground erupted under her feet.

Carmen's body jerked like a rag doll, at a sharp and disturbing angle, backlit by spiraling glow and dust. If she had done it intentionally it might have looked like artwork, or some sort of high fashion pose. As it was, though, the distortion was ugly and almost obscene as it snapped her head back, flung her arms out, and curled up her mouth.

Suhara shocked both Zack and Ivy by screaming, louder than they had known he could. Propelling himself towards the explosion, he rushed to where Carmen had fallen.

The thief inhaled sharply. "I am fine." She wheezed, rolling to her back as Suhara put a hand on her forehead.

"You're bleeding." Zack said, gesturing to her legs.

She answered. "It's nothing," Carmen flicked the blood away in annoyance, leaving macabre smears on her calves and thighs.

Ivy snapped, somewhat obviously." A bomb just went off under your feet!"

"That wasn't a bomb." She replied acerbically. "It was at best a very small fireball inside a rabbit hole. Barely singed me, now let's go."

"Carmen," Suhara said gently. "Remember what I taught you about listening to your body."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Yes…"

"How you need to avoid injuring yourself by ignoring pain…" Suhara prompted.

"Really now, Sensei." Carmen muttered angrily. "I'm in more pain than this almost every day of my life. There's no need to baby me."

The master looked back steadily. "You're not telling the whole truth. Where else are you hurt?"

Sighing, the thief conceded, "The burns are fine. They'll blister and I doubt they'll feel pleasant, but there's not much I can do about it. However," She sighed. "I'm worried about my neck. I hurt it in Jerusalem and now this aggravated it. Don't let me become a liability, Sensei. I'll work through it."

"We need to get you some ice for that." Suhara said.

"Yes, dad." Carmen answered, and it was only half-sarcastic.

_**

* * *

**_

"Any luck IDing those plants?" Carmen asked, leaning over the library table, with one hand.

Zack groaned. "We've been at this for hours!"

Ivy and Carmen were both still flipping through the books with alacrity. "Got something!" Ivy said, hefting a heavy red tome. "This one only grows somewhere called Cachtice…"

Carmen was slightly hampered at her research because one of her hands was occupied holding the ice pack to her neck. "Slovakia?"

"Yeah…" Ivy said.

Carmen closed her books, and briskly began reshelving them. "That's the place then."

"Why so sure?" Suhara asked wisely.

"Because Cachtice castle is where Elizabeth Bathory lived." Carmen explained.

"How does that help?" Ivy asked.

"Yeah and who's she?" Zack added.

"Hold onto your hats gumshoes, because this chick was creepy!" Chief explained. "Elizabeth Bathory may…. Or may not because you know how rumors are…. Have tortured and killed a whole lot of young women."

"The countess was put on trial and sentenced to be locked in her own castle for the rest of her life detectives." Carmen elaborated, then her voice went far away. "Walled into a tiny room for four years. Alone… she was completely alone."

Suhara reached out towards Carmen, who abruptly flinched and pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me!"

Everyone stared.

The thief swallowed and deliberately moved the teacher's hand back to it's former place against her arm.

"Sorry Sensei." She said slowly and intentionally. "I did not mean you."

"A little jumpy?" Zack suggested.

Carmen quickly ignored the situation. "Back to Elizabeth Bathory."

"Was she innocent?" Zack suggested.

"As much as I'd like to think the whole thing was politically motivated, let's just say that from my perspective some of those historical descriptions looked a little too familiar. The sadism… that comes from someone with that sort of absolute power, it fits."

"Fits your experience in Morocco?" Ivy ventured timidly.

"I think Leanne may have even borrowed some of her supposed techniques." Carmen expanded academically, touching one of the books tenderly before she returned it to the shelf.

"Such as?" Suhara prompted, rising carefully for his chair.

"Star kicking for one." Carmen replied sardonically. "Aptly named. The use of pins for another. Both simple warm ups from Leanne's perspective but she seemed to like them for variety." She pretended amusement, but only succeeded in looking ill.

"Makes a great horror movie though." Chief quipped.

"Here we go again…" Zack muttered.


	9. Winged  Victory

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

They had been walking through the ruins for some almost the entire day, but no one had found anything.

"What are you looking at, detectives?" Carmen asked with a soft smile.

Zack hurriedly tried to hide the documents. "Um nothing."

The thief reached for them playfully "Let me see!"

The detective tried to pull back.

Carmen had a beautiful laugh. "Really, let me..." She got a look at the photographs, and the mirth dropped off. "Oh."

In the picture, she was sprawled against a concrete wall, with a torn shirt, disheveled hair and bloody mouth distorted in a grimace. A grinning guard was standing over her, with his foot pulled back for a kick.

"This is actually…rather tame, detectives." Carmen commented, in what claimed to be a casual tone.

"There are more." Ivy stated. "Some are a lot worse."

Carmen turned through the images, flinching at a few in particular. "No kidding… I must have been very far out of it. I didn't know they took photos." She said, in an eerily calm tone. Turning a page, Carmen added. "So I suppose now you have a more detailed idea of what it looked like. Not very dignified, detectives. It was an ugly situation."

Carmen didn't get mad. Ivy wished she had. It would have been easier

"When we find Leanne," The agent growled. "I am going to kill her."

"Don't be ridiculous, detective. Where'd you get this?"

"They were all stacked in the corner, like they were left for us." Zack explained.

Carmen organized the photos neatly, now touching them only by the edges. "Bag them up and send them to Ceria, detectives. See if she can get any fingerprints off them except ours."

"OK." Zack said, taking the pictures without turning through them. "I'm pretty sure Leanne's involved in Malika's murder now."

A slow nod from Carmen, "I am too." She shook her head abruptly. "But unless we have another clue I think you had better try to get some sleep, detectives."

"We need someone to stay awake and watch the door." Suhara explained as Carmen nodded.

"We can take turns." Ivy suggested practically.

"No…" Carmen said tonelessly. "I'll do it."

"Carmen-Chan you've been awake for almost two days. You need a rest."

"I don't want a rest, Suhara!" Carmen snapped. "I'll stay up, the rest of you sleep. Please…"

"Have you been having nightmares again?" Zack guessed.

"No." Carmen denied… "I mean yes." She shivered. "Every time I close my eyes."

"Carmen, if you ever want to talk about it…"

"I don't." Carmen said tersely. She sighed. "But I should. Otherwise these dreams might never go away." Her eyes switched back and forth among the people standing around her, spending longest on Suhara and Ivy. Finally, she gestured. "Let's go, detective."

* * *

"I'm surprised you didn't choose Suhara." Ivy remarked, as they sat down, facing each other, in one of the walled off parts of the ruin.

"Suhara left me, detective." The thief explained. "I don't want him to hear the details of what resulted. It would be cruel."

"I left you too…" Ivy whispered.

"You were only a child." Carmen contradicted. "I know you could not have done anything. Besides," she added briskly. "Would you want to explain this sort of thing to a man?"

Given the content of some of those photographs, she certainly wouldn't. "I doubt it…"

For a long while, Carmen didn't say anything.

Ivy waited.

"I'm not really good at talking about this detective." Carmen muttered,

"Take all the time you need." Ivy offered gently.

Carmen's mouth formed itself into a rictus as she tried to say something. Her eyes flashed in frustration as she attempted to form her thoughts. "I…" she managed. "Ivy…"

"It's ok…" Ivy comforted softly.

Carmen closed her eyes and breathed slowly for a few moments, as Ivy looked on in worry. Several times she tried to speak, but no words resulted. Each time she would cut off her own statement before it began. "Sorry…" She said hoarsely. "I can't seem to um… find somewhere to begin."

"How about you tell me what happens in the nightmares…." Ivy suggested.

As light reflected off her eyes, the thief concentrated on choosing her words, and Ivy knew she was reliving the dreams. She couldn't picture anything terrible enough to take someone as strong and confident as Carmen and leave her afraid to even go to sleep.

"The worst part of being with Nicholas…" Carmen began with difficulty, "Or… one of the worst parts, was the taste."

Ivy tried not to react.

"Rancid onions." Her eyes darted. "I'll be dreaming and it's like everything's happening at once. I see that blasted tattoo and the knife coming closer and I hear the guards laughing and feel…" Carmen started hyperventilating. "And feel…"

"Breathe…" Ivy reminded.

"And then I wake up." Carmen finished loudly, clenching her fists until her arms trembled, "But that taste is still there, and nothing I do will wash it away."

Ivy looked back at her, sympathy evident.

Carmen sniffed and sat up a little straighter, composing herself and taking an academic tone. Tapping nervously against her thigh, her fingers accented each syllable. "You have to understand, detective. Morocco was… as bad… as I can imagine anything being. It was…far… worse than Nicholas."

Ivy shivered.

"You're wondering how that's possible aren't you?" Carmen commented darkly. "Well it was. Nicholas was horrible but it was a mission. I had a purpose."

Their eyes connected and Carmen abruptly stopped.

"You sure you can hear this, detective?" Carmen inquired.

"Not really…" Ivy ghosted the syllables.

"I'm sorry," Carmen said. "I shouldn't have put you through…"

"Carmen," Ivy interjected, grabbing her hand. "Just get it out, OK?"

The thief nodded, and paused, working up the words, slowly managing one syllable at a time. "With Nicholas, I had something to hold on to. I could tell myself that he might be using my body, but my mind was my own. Morocco was just…"

She paused, as her voice broke a little. Then she pulled Ivy's hand hard and the words all came out in one hurried rushed breath.

"Morroco was Hell. No reason, no logic, no getting away. Leanne, she had a way of telling when I was going numb. She'd see my eyes glazing over and she could always find a way to jolt me back. One time, I was so far out of it that I wasn't even screaming. So she took a knife and…"

Dropping Ivy's hand, Carmen spun and beat her hands helplessly against the castle wall. Her face a mask of fury and pain, she slid down the stonework onto her knees.

Ivy hesitantly knelt next to her. "You survived."

"I almost couldn't…" Carmen whispered. "One thing got me through it."

"What was that?" Ivy requested gently.

Carmen clenched her fists. "Leanne gave the guards… permission to… do whatever they wanted to me."

The detective growled, but Carmen cut off the sound with a sharp gesture.

"Most of them took advantage of that detective." She said intensely, leaning in so their faces were close. "One… after… another."

Ivy gagged involuntary.

"But some of them did not. Do you understand…? In fact two of them refused to take part in any of the torture at all. Despite Leanne threatening have them fired." Suddenly all the energy seemed to drain from Carmen and she put her head in her hands.

The detective looked back sadly.

"It let me realize that there was good in the world somewhere… if not where I was..." Carmen's eyes glistened and she bit her lip hard.

"You can cry if you want to…" Ivy submitted softly.

"It's weak." Carmen countered, through a tight throat.

"Carmen." Ivy put a hand on her shoulder. "When we try to track down Malika's killer tomorrow, then it'll be time to be strong. But right now… right now it's OK to be weak."

"No it's not." She was blinking furiously to keep back tears. "I have to be numb." She hissed. "I can't feel. If I let myself, there's nothing but pain."

"It's ok…" Ivy whispered.

"Detective, can't you even see what I'm doing to you?" Carmen snapped. "What a waste of your time I am? It is possible to break something beyond repair. If you shattered a set of fine china, would you try to just stick it back together with hot glue and keep eating off it?"

"Carmen, you know what my favorite sculpture is right?" Ivy said.

Carmen looked up, thrown a little off by the question.

"Winged Victory." Ivy supplied.

Carmen almost laughed. Then, she caught on to the metaphor.

"The first thing I noticed about it was the movement." Ivy explained. "Because even if it was damaged, that statue was so… majestic."

Carmen's eyes rose slowly.

"Ivy … Ivy…" Carmen tried to speak.

Though she didn't know what to say Ivy answered. "I'm here…"

In an abrupt movement, thief fell forward, sobbing into Ivy's shoulder. "Make it stop. Please, just make it stop. "

Ivy felt frightened and overwhelmed.

Carmen was, to her, the very definition of strength. To see the unassailable villainess/ heroine break down felt completely out of control.

It made her want to run, to find someone who would make the insanity go away, who would return things to normal.

Never mind that the person Ivy would usually want to find in this type of situation was Carmen.

Ivy didn't know what to do. She was certain anything she tried would be completely wrong, and it was taking all of her energy just to keep it together herself.

Inner power, however, comes when there is no other choice.

So, Ivy crooned softly, held Carmen close, and let her cry.


	10. Lucretia

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

"I think I feel a little better." Carmen commented against Ivy's shoulder.

Ivy made a sound that might have been agreement. "You fell asleep."

The thief considered for a moment. "You didn't wake me."

Trying to be casual, Ivy remarked. "You looked like you could use the rest."

Carmen pulled back and shook out her hair. "True story that."

Ivy stretched out her cramped legs. "Any nightmares?"

"No…" Carmen smiled. "I dreamed I was on a heist."

When they looked up, they saw Suhara and Zack standing over them. "How are you feeling, Carmen-Chan." The mentor asked.

It took Carmen a moment to decide how to explain. "Do you know that feeling after a really bad thunderstorm, Sensei." She finally ventured. "Where everything's destroyed and the branches are strewn everywhere and you think it ought to be such a mess… but somehow…. The whole world is clean, and it's fresh, and it even smells sweet?"

The master nodded wisely. "I do indeed."

"Well," Carmen said. "It's like that."

"We need to look through this castle, top to bottom." Ivy announced, standing. "If we don't get another clue we're stuck."

As Carmen moved to stand also, a voice seemed to come from nowhere, shocking them all.

"If it were all a dream." The voice sang, "Then waking would be less a nightmare."

"Did you sleep well?" Another operatic voice interjected.

"As heavenly as death." The first voice finished.

Ivy shouted. "Found a tape recorder."

"Turn it off!" Carmen exclaimed.

Zack complied. "But we have to listen to the rest to figure our where Leanne's sending us."

"No we don't." Carmen answered. "She's sending us to Rome."

All three detectives hesitated. "Inside joke?"

"Mutual cultural reference," Carmen explained. "That music was from an opera by Benjamin Britten."

"Care to explain?" Suhara suggested gently.

"Not particularly." Carmen said, standing up and carding a hand through her hair. "Do an infosearch on _The Rape of Lucretia_."

"You trust infosearch now?" Ivy asked.

"Not really." Carmen said coldly, massaging her temples as though her head hurt, "But just do it."

Chief materialized, looking somber, and his usual flow of words was less than peppy. "Ok, so we're talking about an opera that was written about a historical event. Roman sources such as Livy tell us that the sexual assault of a Roman noblewoman named Lucretia by a member of the royal family was the reason that kings were expelled from Rome."

"Wow," Ivy said. "I didn't know rape victims were cared for that well in ancient times."

"They weren't." Carmen interjected acidly. "Lucretia killed herself."

Zack looked horrified, and Carmen made a tetchy gesture for Chief to continue speaking.

"In um…" He stammered. "In the histories it says that she did it to um… to prove that she never consented. And to err… set a precedent."

"The whole thing obviously points to Rome." Carmen said casually. "So I say we get going."

"And the reference to the suicide?" Suhara asked gently.

"A not too funny suggestion, probably aimed at me." Carmen interpreted caustically.

Zack conspicuously flinched.

"Relax, detective." She instructed. "Leanne can make suggestions until the world ends. I'll just ignore them. Some cultures take a different view of suicides than yours, detective. Ancient Roman society was one of those."

Ivy swallowed nervously at Carmen's expression. "We have some ground to cover."

* * *

"Hey Carmen." Zack asked nervously.

Carmen kept her eyes on hill as they descended, carefully choosing where she placed her stillettos. "Yes?"

"Can we talk about the whole… Lucretia thing."

Glancing over her shoulder Carmen said casually. "You worried about me detective? Don't be."

"But why would Leanne...?"

"I don't know." Carmen said, "I would never be so off-base with a clue. The women she chose... they were all defeated, ready to welcome death. I'm not. And Leanne's going to get a hot surprise if she thinks I am."

Zack scanned her face for signs of deception. Maybe he wasn't doing a good job, but he couldn't find any.

"Nicholas and Morroco was one year, detective. One dark horrible fear-ridden year…. Out of thirty."

The detective was confused.

"My point is, detective, for every horrible thing that happened to me in that year, there have been equally good things, before and after."

"I'm not sure I get it…" Zack muttered.

"Can't you?" Carmen mused. "You are an optimist, detective."

"Um…."

"I've had people try to kill me." Carmen said. "But I've also had people risk their lives to save me."

Zack looked over her carefully.

"I've been locked alone in the dark…" Carmen said. "But I've also been able to do this…" She pulled off her hat and leaned her head back… letting the morning sun shine on her face with a sigh.

The bright light really brought out her eyes. "But all of that stuff…." Zack said.

"The world has been wonderful to me…" Carmen said quietly. "Because even though I've been hated, I've also been loved."

Zack smiled.

"Leanne's going after people I love." Carmen said firmly. "And she has my attention. So she better watch out!"

* * *

_Rome, Italy._

Their communicator rang.

"What's up Ceria?" Zack asked.

"First off… Our murder victim was most definitely shot with Nicholas Moskvani's gun."

Carmen flinched, her jaw tense.

"Second, the fingerprints we have on the photographs matched two separate identifications. One is registered to Ray Sting, a wanted hit man. The other ID is for a top secret agent that I don't have the clearance to access. Your murderer is an undercover agent."

"I am an idiot." Carmen said hoarsely. "How didn't I see this?"

"See what?"

"Thomas Jefferson once said." Carmen quoted darkly. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of _patriots and tyrants"_

_"Where are you going with this?" Ivy asked. _

_"Nicholas was their tyrant…" Carmen explained. "And I was their patriot. I was not supposed to live through that op because I wasn't their main attempt. Only a decoy." _

"Carmen what are you talking about?"

"If Ray was a Acme agent all along… then they had two attempts at Nicholas going at the same time." Carmen explained.

"So?"

"So Ray had advanced training, a deep cover, and he was authorized to commit crimes, including violent ones. Those contacts of mine, the Acme agents that Nicholas had killed, Ray carried out those murders."

"You sure they weren't fake murders like Ivy's?" Zack asked.

"I saw them. Nicholas put a knife on me and made me watch." Carmen said in a hovering voice. "Most of Anthony's head was shot clean off. Nicholas dragged my hand through the still warm gore. You can't fake that."

Ivy shifted her feet uneasily.

"Relax, detective. I'm over it. Which do you suppose they expected to succeed? Ray or me?" Carmen said rhetorically.

"You were the best detective Acme had." Ivy protested.

"I was…" Carmen clarified. "The most famous detective Acme had. But my cover was weak." She was nodding her head slowly as she pondered. "So they probably expected Nicholas to see right through it. That narcissist" She muttered bitterly, "Would be expecting them to send their best. So I'd die and Ray would have an easy in to earn his trust by killing me."

"You were bait?" Zack asked.

"But then I made it work." Carmen continued, "And threw off their whole plan. They had no way for me to renter the agency."

Ivy said passionately. "They should have just taken you back."

"And admit that they orchestrated the whole thing?" The thief questioned. "Would you like to explain to China, Russia, of Afghanistan that the United States government deliberately sent someone to steal their national treasures?"

"Those would be quite the headlines." Zack admitted.

Carmen spoke softly, as if already resigned to the new idea. "I don't blame them for wanting to keep me away. And I was stubborn. I kept insisting that I was a double agent, even when they didn't believe me." She looked at the ground for a moment "Leanne wasn't torturing me for information. She was trying to get me to recant. So I would never try to tell my story again."

"So when she knew you were keeping the op a secret, she left you alone." Ivy inferred. "But then, we… I… I started digging into your past."

"And now Leanne's out to get you again." Zack finished.

"Exactly, Detective. This all could have been very easy for me if I just kept my mouth shut." Carmen replied. Then she looked around. "Where's Suhara?"

* * *

"Hello Ray." Carmen said, crossing the forum with confidence.

"Fancy meeting you here." T\he hit man commented.

"You have my partner." Carmen said firmly. "And I want him back."

"If you wish to see him alive, all three of you need to follow me."

Carmen looked at the two youngest imploringly. "I won't force you."

Zack answered for both of them. "We're with you Carmen."

The three of them followed the hit man down into an unfamiliar section of the roman catacombs.

"Did you know about me?" Carmen asked conversationally as they stepped through the dark pathways.

"Yes." Ray answered, escorting her by the arm. "They told me to expect Nicholas to require me to commit some murders. You and your contacts were among the names."

"So you threw me in there with no knowledge of anything, just to muddy up the waters." Carmen muttered bitterly.

"Do you know why your method worked?" Ray asked, a bit condescendingly stopping in front of a door.

They could see that the pathway was wired with strong electromagnets. Chief's hologram could probably get through, but there was no way they would be able to open a C5 into whatever was beyond that door, even if Leanne didn't control the system.

Ray continued. "Because you weren't taught."

The thief tossed her hair over her shoulder, angrily. "I don't follow."

"Nicholas Moskvani figured whoever we sent after him would be elitely trained. He knew about your detective record. He had you made, Carmen. Then…" Ray chuckled.

If he expected Carmen to be intimidated, she certainly wasn't.

"Nicholas…" Ray continued, laughing under his breath. "Tells me one night to be ready to kill you. The next morning he comes back and says never mind. He said…" The hit man dissolved into outright laughter.

"Stop wasting my time." Carmen said shortly, trying to push by him.

He grabbed her arm to stop her. "That you must be for real, Because no self-respecting agency would send a virgin to seduce him."

Though Zack gasped and Ivy flinched, Carmen didn't miss a beat. "Let me by." She said steadily. Carmen glanced over her shoulder. "Oh really now detectives, that can not have been a surprise."

"Wow." Ray commented. "You are cold. I would have gotten a rise out of most people on that statement."

"The facts do not distress me. I don't have to explain my improvisations to a brute like you. Acme left me to burn and I worked with what I was given." She answered in a vinegar tone.

"You were a liability then and you're a liability now." Ray answered.

"Nice attitude. Certainly explains why you burned me. And then when Nicholas didn't kill me for you, that became your problem as well did it?" Carmen inferred icily.

"I would have done it quickly. So it didn't hurt."

She retorted coldly. "Very considerate, I'm sure."

"You and I are a lot alike." Ray reflected. "I felt bad for you."

"I never killed anyone." Carmen snapped, her mouth curled in disgust.

"Well I couldn't exactly do what you did now could I?" Ray responded with a smirk. "I needed other ways to earn his trust."

Contempt flashed across Carmen's face. "You watch out, Ray." She responded, as she strode through the door. "Anything she's willing to do to me, Leanne would gladly do to you too."


	11. Let Live

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

"Good afternoon Leanne." Carmen said politely.

The confident woman with eerily light skin and long straight blond hair folded her arms, showing the dragon tattoo. "Good afternoon, harlot."

Ivy's eyes flashed and she took a step forward, but was stopped by Ray's gun at her chest. Hesitantly, she stood down.

Carmen pretended not to notice. "Where's Suhara."

Casually, Leanne pointed to the corner, where the elderly man lay huddled and bound.

"Suhara are you…" Carmen gasped, rushing towards him.

Roughly, Leanne checked her movement. "You take one step I don't tell you to take." The director instructed. "And Ray has my permission to shoot your friends."

Carmen halted. "Your quarrel is with me. Don't harm them."

Leanne's laugh was dark music. "I can't imagine how you have any allies at all, Carmen, but somehow you attract misguided loyalty like flies to honey. And these," She stabbed her finger at Ivy and Zack. "Have been interfering in matters that were none of their concern. One of you will pay for that indiscretion. Which?"

Ivy started to speak, but Carmen stopped her. "I'll pay." Carmen said quietly.

Leanne tossed her head airily and took two pairs of handcuffs out of her pocket. "Cuff their hands behind their back, gag them, and have them sit against the wall.

Carmen gently did as she was bid.

"I love role reversal." Leanne commented.

"I'll do anything you want." Carmen begged intensely. "Just please don't hurt them."

"Anything…" Leanne laughed again. "Well let's not get ahead of ourselves. Take off that ridiculous sweatshirt, and stand against the other wall."

When Carmen complied, the director stepped forward.

"I've never gotten a chance to look at one I let live before." The director crooned.

"Mercy from you must be a very rare occurrence then." Carmen commented dryly. "Can't say that surprises me."

The laughter this time bordered on madness. "See Ray." Leanne said. "I told you. She has wit."

Carmen closed her eyes and tightened her jaw, as Leanne started tracing scars with her fingers.

"It seems like such a tiny marking for the amount you bled." The director remarked.

Shivering, the thief kept quiet.

A slight slap of displeasure. "Answer me when I speak to you, tramp."

"Yes director."

"You walk very well, all things considered, harlot." Leanne continued, "I'm surprised that isn't painful."

"Necessity is a powerful force, director."

"Gallivanting around the world running from police is hardly a necessity," Countered Leanne.

"I can go without food for longer than I can go without stealing." Carmen admitted. "And if I'm going to do something, it'll be done effectively."

The director grinned. "Yes… that's very true." She took a few steps back and sat on the table. "But you didn't have to do it in stilettos."

Carmen's back straightened and she looked back defiantly. "I like stilettos."

The director laughed. "Now I have always wondered, harlot." Leanne grinned. "How is Nicholas Moskvani as a lover?"

"He is just as much of a brute in that context as in any other." Carmen answered like ice, "Crude, selfish, cruel, and disgusting. Were he still alive, you would be welcome to try him yourself. Are we almost done with questions? "

"One more." The director answered. "When we caught you, my orders were to kill you. One clean shot between the eyes. I convinced my superior officer to let me break you instead, so your life could be spared."

Carmen swallowed.

"So my question is… Ten years later, knowing what you do now, do you think I made the right choice?"

"I think it would have been kinder to shoot me." The thief replied carefully. "But I don't think kindness was your goal."

Leanne nodded. "Well said."

"I'll do whatever you want." Carmen said softly. "Only do not force the same choice on them."

"I allowed you to leave Morocco. I allowed my stupid detectives to warp all of time space trying to save you. Your life is mine, Carmen."

"What do you want?" The thief asked tersely.

"I want your life back." Leanne answered. "That pill that you carry sewn in the lining of your tank top… I want you to take it out and swallow it. Right now, or I promise I will arrest both Zack and Ivy for international crimes against time, and I will make sure that everything I had done you happens to them."

"You want me to kill myself…" Carmen gasped.

"How much are they worth to you?" The director countered.

Carmen glanced at her bound friends.

"Don't look at Suhara." The director snapped. "You make your choices alone and you'll pay for them alone too. You really ought to have noticed that by now."

"How do I know you won't just kill them anyway?" Carmen asked shrewdly.

"I have no reason to harm them. You are the national security threat, not them. They could never prove any of the allegations without you. As long as they agree to keep quiet, I won't touch them."

Carmen shook her head. "You'll never get them to cooperate."

Leanne smiled condescendingly. "I think I will. Ivy gets very angry, but she will burn out quickly. And Zack adapts and finds the good in every situation, so he'll realize he has nothing to gain by holding that grudge."

"And you feel some need for me to do this myself?" The thief questions. "You could have had Ray shoot me the second I passed the door. In fact you could have had him shoot me any time before now. You had a plethora of open shots."

Leanne giggled.

"Instead," Carmen continued. "You've been taking a bunch of cursory passes at us. With half a modicum of effort you'd have taken us all out, and somehow I'm still breathing, even with half your resources."

"Don't congratulate youself too heavily, harlot." Leanne remarked. "You're living on my suffrage."

"I've noticed. You like to play with your victims before you kill them."

"And, if you care about these detectives as much as you'd like the world to believe you do, then you have no choice but to play along."

"Now listen you malicious little tyrant." Carmen said, meeting Leanne with an ice-cold stare. "I've heard your conditions. Here are mine. I have left statements concerning what you have done with someone. I doubt you have ever met that person and you can certainly never find them. He or she has directions to release that information to the media if any harm comes to Zack, Suhara, Chief, or Ivy. It may not be proof, but I think the bad publicity you feared would ensue anyway. So you will take no action whatsoever against them."

The director scanned Carmen's face. "You're bluffing."

"Are you willing to risk it?" The thief asked, her features smooth.

Twirling her pen around her fingers, the director put her feet on the desk. "I think you've stalled long enough."

Carmen hesitated. "I… I want to live."

"Fine." Leanne snapped. She turned to Ray. "Place Zack and Ivy under arrest and…"

"Wait!" Carmen interjected. "I'll do whatever you want, just don't… please don't hurt them."

The director tapped her fingers impatiently.

"Do you have any water?" Carmen asked.

"No," Leanne deadpanned. "Make due."

Taking the small, capsule from the lining of her tank top, Carmen swallowed. Then she walked into the far corner, across the room from the detectives and sat down, facing the wall.

"Crawling into a corner to die, Carmen?" The director taunted, a broad grin over her features.

"Shut up, Leanne." Carmen snapped.

"That's shut up, Director, to you." Leanne clarified merrily.

Without answering, Carmen slumped, leaning against the wall, her face turned away.

The detectives pulled against their bonds frightened and horrified. Their only sign that Carmen was still alive was her shoulders, rising a falling in time with her breath.

Ten long minutes passed.

Twenty….

"Leanne." Carmen said. "Cyanide's a fast poison. Why the blazes don't I feel sick?"

Giggling like it was an excellent joke, Leanne held up another capsule. "You think you've the only one who can pick a pocket?"


	12. Informal

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

Ivy cursed through her gag and Zack sighed in obvious relief.

"What did I take?" Carmen asked quietly.

"Sugar pill." Leanne answered dryly. "I just wanted to see how far you would go. It'll save time later."

Carmen got to her feet breathing hard. "Why don't you hurry up and decide whether to kill me, you malevolent narcissist."

"I am trying to save your life!" Leanne snapped.

"I don't see the connection." Carmen commented darkly.

Leanne grinned. "That's because I haven't made it yet. If you had just kept your mouth shut, we would not be in this mess. We can't have this coming out, it would be an international disaster."

"No kidding…" Carmen growled. "Nice planning, by the way."

"However," Leanne said in a reasoning tone, "If you and the detectives can prove to me that you'll never try to bring this up… Well I might just let you live."

Carmen considered it for a moment. "Prove how? I see ten years of silence was insufficient."

"Tomorrow..." Leanne answered. "They all take a turn on you. They all do what I did. When I'm satisfied that you wouldn't even be able to look at them long enough to collude with them, I'll let you all go."

Ivy made a growling sound through her gag, but Carmen seemed to consider it. "And you'll let them live."

"They are mine." The director responded, sitting behind her desk and placing her feet up, crossed over one another. "I don't damage my property for no cause."

"Suhara should be exempt." Carmen deadpanned, hands on her hips.

The director shrugged, tossing her shiny bright hair in arrogance. "I'm sure the old man can figure out something. He likely knows more techniques then you realize."

"He left me in Morocco with you, knowing full well what was happening to me." Carmen responded in a lifeless voice. "I couldn't even look at him for ten years after that. Anything he does now is irrelevant."

"Fine." The director conceded. "But Ivy and Zack both need to." She gestured to Ray. "I'll give the three of you the night to decide."

_**

* * *

**_

"This alright, detective?" Carmen asked as she sat down next to Ivy.

"Yeah." Ivy said softly, leaning a little on Carmen's shoulder. "Is this?"

"Yes." Carmen answered, in a low register. "Keep your voice down though. I'm sure Leanne's kept a gunman in the next room."

"Can you break us out of here?" Zack asked, as it their legs weren't shackled together and the room had windows or a second door.

"Possibly," Carmen responded. "But Leanne could find your family and friends faster than me, detective. Do you want to take that chance?"

"This is really bad, isn't it?" Ivy asked, trying for bravery.

"I'm not going to lie to you, detectives." Carmen responded. "In terms of self-defense, being trapped in a second location like this is statistical death."

Zack scurried around to Carmen's other side, and leaned a little against her too, so that he could find her in the soot-black room. Suhara didn't move from his place on Ivy's other side.

"Tomorrow." Ivy whispered. "We either have to torture you or we all die."

They could feel Carmen's shoulders tense. "Do what you need to, detective, to buy our lives. I'll be fine."

"Even a random pair of Moroccan guards treated you better than me." Ivy berated.

"Don't either of you dare…" Carmen said with dark determination, "Get killed over me. I don't care if you have to snap my mind like a twig, When Leanne tells you to do something to me, you do it understand?"

"But…"

"Leanne has some sort of grudge against me, detective. She's only gone after you because of me. Disassociate yourself from me and she'll loose that anger."

Chief materialized in front of them. "I can't…" He began.

"You can't get anyone to come down after us." Carmen guessed. "Leanne's stopping the orders from coming out."

The CGI head nodded sadly. "Thought you might want a little light…"

Carmen leaned into the glow. "Thanks, but you all need to stop this."

"Stop what, Carmen." Suhara asked. The master was kneeling in front of Carmen, radiating calm and serene, but ancient.

"Trying to help me." Carmen said. "Trying to comfort me. You're just going to make tomorrow more difficult on yourselves. If you want to help, then you need to make yourself hate me by sunrise."

"I can't hate you anymore." Ivy said softly.

The thief said softly. "I really am sorry, Ivy."

"I know now it wasn't your fault."

"I'm confused again guys." Zack commented.

"We err… sort of knew each other before this…" The thief admitted.

"There was this… errr… mentor… thing…" Ivy commented grudgingly.

"Very informal." Carmen explained.

"It wasn't informal, how could you say that?" Ivy snapped.

The thief answered. "There was no program, detective."

"Well I cared about it anyway!" Ivy shouted.

"So did I…" Carmen answered quietly, a little hurt.

"Guys, what's going on?" Zack asked.

"It was related to my Tai Chi." Ivy elucidated.

"Get out! You were training with her?"

They could feel Carmen nod. "I was helping her with her rooting. It was technically just a very brief instruction but…" she sighed.

"I wanted to be just like her." Ivy answered, pain showing though in her voice. "I was so excited that she even wanted to work with me. I'd never been so excited about martial arts in my life. Then I come in one morning and find out…" her voice shivered. "I was so confused."

"After all of the things I told you about honor and self control, you saw me violate everything I'd taught you." Carmen answered darkly. "Of course you were confused. I don't blame you for holding that grudge, Ivy."

"All that time you were off saving the world…" Ivy muttered. "And I was wishing the most horrible things on you…"

"Well…." Carmen said, "Anything you wanted to do, you're going to get a chance at."

"I don't want to hurt you…" Ivy's voice broke. "I swear I don't…"

"I want to live, detective." The thief begged. "It's selfish and cruel and far too much to ask, but I don't want to die."

Suhara probed softly. "Why were you carrying around the means to kill yourself, Carmen-Chan."

"It's not like I was going to use it or anything." Carmen derided.

"Then why keep it?" Ivy asked, disturbingly certain that she didn't want an answer.

"Security." Carmen answered in clipped syllables.

Zack drew a slow breath.

"But it turned out." The thief continued. "That I'm afraid to die."

Ivy leaned a little more against her, in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

"This is insane." Zack muttered.


	13. Knife

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

They sat fidgeting for a long time. Ivy was starting to drift to sleep when they heard a voice.

"I don't think this is about you, Carmen-Chan." Suhara commented.

"Suhara, I'm trying to sleep." Carmen complained grumpily.

The master explained. "But you are missing the point…"

The thief shifted her weight. "Fine, enlighten me. Did you really have to come up with this now?"

"Leanne Catania isn't interested in you…" Suhara elucidated. "She had over a decade to come after you."

"And your objection is?"

"There's nothing new about the way you've been behaving…"

"And here I thought I was being all original."

"Carmen!" Zack interjected.

"Sorry…" She muttered.

"Zack and Ivy, on the other hand..."

Carmen cursed. "I'm the one she wants to bleed…"

"And we're the one's she wants causing it…" Ivy said, commenting for the first time.

"Leanne considers Acme agents to be her property…" Suhara explained. "She's very possessive."

"And to her view," Carmen finally admitted, "I stole you from her. The whole time travel thing…"

"She likely views the entire exercise as a training exercise for them, Carmen. You're just the…"

Carmen cut off his words with a gesture. "Maybe so. Make her believe she's won, detectives. Hesitate at first, make it difficult, but then do what she wants. Let her think you're enjoying it even. Get creative…" she swallowed. "Get cruel. That's the only way to play this where some of us might get out alive."

* * *

Leanne tightened the bonds that tied Carmen to the chair and removed Ivy's handcuffs. "You first, agent Ivy." She ordered.

"What do you want me to do?" The agent asked in a trembling voice.

"Your choice." The director instructed. "I want to see what you come up with."

Ivy forced herself to get angry. Trying to remember all the low slimy tricks from what seemed like decades, calling up the now irrelevant feelings of betrayal and anger, Ivy slapped Carmen across the face.

Taking another bite of her dinner, Leanne reprimanded. "I told you to torture her, not just slap her around. Do better."

Ray jabbed his gun into Ivy's back and her breath caught.

Telling herself it was nothing more than a training exercise, Ivy loosened the bonds on Carmen's left arm and put her in an elbow bar.

The thief hissed a little bit as Ivy tightened the hold, hitting the tips of her fingers against the wood of the chair, like she was trying to tap out.

Leanne rolled her eyes. "Get on with it."

The detective hesitated.

"Do what you have to." Carmen said, closing her eyes in resignation.

Ivy took a deep breath, whispered," Sorry Carmen," and snapped her arms. The thief screamed in agony, her arm bent back in an uncanny angle.

The director grinned. "Not bad, Agent Ivy. Now, straighten her arm and hold it there."

Ivy started to speak.

"Before you say anything." The director said darkly. "Remember that if you can't do this she dies. Screaming. And I'm sure Ray can think of a few things he'd like to do before that. For that matter, so can I."

Cringing, Ivy moved the limbs. Carmen gritted her teeth and groaned.

"Let's give that a minute of so…" Leanne commented. Glancing over, she added. "Actually, double that time. And if you don't stop crying Zack, I'll triple it." Smiling, she took another few bites of her meal.

When the director finally gestured that Ivy could stop, the detective was shivering almost uncontrollably.

"That's a fair start I suppose," Leanne mused, putting her feet up on her desk. "But Carmen breaks bones all the time doesn't she? Come up with something else."

Ivy leaned towards Carmen. "She isn't going to let me stop until I do something completely horrible."

"I know, detective." Carmen acknowledged gently. "It's okay."

Ivy paused for a moment, gathering nerve, and then turned confidently to face Leanne. "I'm going to need a blindfold… and a knife."

Carmen's body jerked slightly, involuntarily, against the ropes.

Chuckling, Leanne extended a knife. "You can use mine." The director grinned, seeing Carmen's reaction. "She'll remember it."

"And a blindfold…" Ivy demanded firmly.

Leanne made a sharp gesture. "Ray, go get her what she needs."

The hit man lowered his gun, and walked out of the door.

"Let's see you work that knife, Ivy." The director instructed with a grin.

"Yeah…" Ivy said softly.

The detective loosened the ropes on one of Carmen's hands.

"What are you doing?" Leanne asked sharply.

Ivy explained. "Fingertips have a lot of nerves."

Leanne shrugged and leaned back as if bored.

Ivy's mind worked frenetically and she started making tiny cuts on Carmen's hand. The thief turned her face away, as the detective worked the markings into a pattern.

"Hey…" Ivy said, laughing a little unsteadily. "This is kind of fun."

"Ivy!" Zack interjected, appalled.

The director's ears perked up and she smiled.

"What?" Ivy demanded of her brother. "She deserves it. Every day, every single second" her voice started to crescendo, "Of our lives is about her."

"Sis…"

"And she's got me so messed up I can't work out how I feel about anything." Ivy shouted, "because I keep trying to figure her out." Ivy put on a mock sing-song voice. "Carmen's so good… sure she steals everything and lies and betrays us and we're running all over the world trying to clean up after her but she's so good."

The director stood up and started to walk closer for a better view.

"Well I was wrong!" Ivy shouted, hitting Carmen hard across the face. "There's nothing good in her."

The director nodded, walking to stand right next to Ivy, and Zack was crying through his confusion.

"She ruined my life." Ivy said coldly. "So why shouldn't I have a little fun." As Carmen shivered and blinked back tears, Ivy took the knife and started cutting aggressively at Carmen's clothing.

Leanne moved forward, watching intensely, her face inches from the blade, with a disturbing grin plastered across…

In a sudden movement, the detective had the knife at the director's throat. Shifting her feet carefully, she kicked the door closed, hearing it lock with a click.

When the director swallowed, the knife made a faint red line. "What... what are you doing?"

"I needed you to stand closer…" Ivy answered calmly.

"But you were…" Leanne stammered.

"Trying not to loose my lunch." Ivy finished, and Zack smiled. "You're really sick, you know that?"

The director made an indignant sound.

"You clear that all that was an act, Carmen?" Ivy called over her shoulder.

"I am now…" Carmen stuttered, wiping her bloody hand against her side. "Clever move… asking for the blindfold to get Ray out of the room and all… even I didn't see what you were doing. Gave me a turn, to tell the truth."

"Sorry I had to scare you," Ivy said quietly. "And about your elbow. I didn't mean any of what I just said either, so don't you dare start internalizing it or something."

"I'll get over it, detective." Carmen answered briskly. "A painkiller and a couple of bandages, I'll be good as new."

Leanne looked back somewhat confidently. "You would never."

"Cut your throat?" Ivy finished in a chilling voice. "I'd love to actually, but there's someone here you've hurt more than me and she ought to have the final word on that."

Nervously, the director swallowed.

Carmen looked across the room, her mouth slightly open, and started to work her way out of the ropes.

"Now it's your turn to listen to some orders, Leanne." The detective said, with no mercy in her voice.


	14. I want

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

The situation had reversed.

It was Leanne tied to the chair and Carmen free. Ivy stared at the blond woman, who was watching her with an incredible amount of terror. The detective didn't quite grasp yet that she was something to be feared.

"That was a clever move, detective." Carmen congratulated as she helped Suhara out of his restraints. Her arm locked with her teacher's as she pulled him slowly up. "What is your plan now?"

The detectives looked at each other and Suhara spoke for all three. "That is your choice, Carmen."

"We'll support any decision you make." Zack elaborated.

The thief looked at the director with icy eyes. "Anything?" She asked in a voice that was half steel half tremors.

Ivy hesitated for only a moment. "Yes… anything."

Zack's throat worked a little, as his innocent eyes watched his three friends, one wise, one angry, and one simply sad.

The thief stared at Leanne for a long time, breathing steadily and making no move.

They waited.

"If I say I want her dead?" Carmen asked, in a flurry of sharp inflection. "Or if I want to do to her what she did to me?"

The redhead had merciless eyes. "You won't hear any objections from me." She announced, crossing her arms in front of her. It was only a half truth. She had no issues with anything that would happen to the director… but she couldn't quite grasp the notion nevertheless. Ivy wanted to rend the director limb from limb, but something about the thought of Carmen making that choice didn't sit well.

Zack swallowed. "We'll leave you to uh…"

"No, stay." Carmen ordered, in a chilling tone. "I want you all to watch this."

The group slowly turned to face the thief and the director.

Carmen reached down to the floor and removed Leanne's knife. "I remember this…" She reminisced. "You were very… creative… with this knife."

The director cowered.

Carmen twirled the blade in her hands a few times, playing with the weapon. "This… thing… has been in my nightmares for years." Her lips curled back in something of a snarl. "And you've been carrying it around the whole time. It's your favorite isn't it?"

Leanne shuddered. "Please don't…."

Rolling her eyes the thief remarked. "Now I seem to remember that phrase too. Though I doubt you ever thought you'd be the one begging." She frowned.

"I…." The blond woman scrambled. "I have the power… to give you anything you want…. You could have…money or… control of Acme… I…." Her eyes got intense and she committed to the course of persuasion. "I could give you anything. Just tell me what you want."

"What I want…" Carmen whispered.

The director nodded, as the detectives looked on in considerable worry.

"What sort of question is that?" Carmen leaned over Leanne to look her in the face. "I want this all to go away. I want it never to have happened."

Ivy and Zack exchanged glances.

"I want to be able to explain to myself how an agency I trusted…" Her voice was getting louder. "How an agency I still trust could have first abandoned me and then tortured me because I proved…." Carmen got quiet again. "Inconvenient."

Leanne shivered.

"I want to naively divide my world into good and bad people again, without seeing exceptions everywhere or… or wondering if I'm on the wrong side."

Ivy made an involuntary comforting gesture towards Carmen, but the thief didn't notice.

"I want to get up and go through the day without hating anyone." Carmen continued, blinking fiercely. She gripped the knife and jammed the hilt against her hip. "I want to be able to hold a weapon without worrying I'll want to kill someone with it."

The thief took a few deep breaths.

"I hate you, Leanne." She growled. "I hate you, and Nicholas, and Ray, and every blasted person who knew I was innocent and didn't care!"

Zack shied back nervously.

"And that's the worst part isn't it…" Carmen mused, with tears shining in her eyes. "Because they could be good people really. People who didn't do anything wrong except follow your orders."

The director blinked in confusion.

"Those guards who… who hurt me. By now, they probably have families... people that love them. They could be good fathers or… It's not…" Carmen's voice broke… "Like they were that way all the time. It's like the Stanford Prison experiment... situations… adapting to roles... roles you set for them."

Ivy looked over in confusion, hardly believing Carmen was bringing up some psychological reference trying to justify that… especially now.

The thief was running her hands through her hair now, pacing back and forth. "That's not to excuse their actions just to say…. They're not evil… not really... and I'm going to hate them until I die. I am going to hate those other human beings until the day I die."

Carmen hesitated for a long time… and the detectives waited. The room was silent except for the heavy breathing and the obnoxious ticking of the wall clock. The thief paced erratically back and forth running her hands over her hair over and over again, blinking back tears.

"I want…." She muttered softly. "I want…" Carmen shivered…. "I want…."

Finally the thief looked up, with anger and decision written across her face.

"I want my innocence back!"

Abruptly the hand tightened, white knuckles against the hilt.

The thief's eyes hardened and the knife flashed…


	15. Nothing

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

Carmen brought the knife down hard…

…into the wood of the chair, breaking the blade apart from the hilt.

Leanne stifled a scream of fear.

Ivy watched as Carmen, breathing hard, kept eye contact with the director and took a step back. "What are you doing?" It seemed like an idiotic question the second it left her mouth.

Carmen did not answer, or even seem to hear.

"Carmen?" Suhara questioned gently.

"Nothing…" Carmen exhaled slowly, still staring. "I'm doing nothing."

A strange peaceful look came over her features.

"I…" Carmen said, emphasizing every syllable. "Don't… want… to…"

Suhara slowly nodded to himself.

"Do you hear that?" Carmen addressed Leanne. "I'm not going to touch you."

Leanne shivered, "Why not?"

"Because I am not like you." Carmen turned away and addressed the rest of them. "I want you all to see and remember that I had her completely in my power. I had the chance to hurt her, and I didn't take it."

Zack acknowledged, "We see."

"I…" their captive managed "I don't understand."

"You wouldn't." Carmen answered coldly.

Leanne shook. "Why…?"

Carmen spun and moved so that her eyes were directly opposite Leanne's. "Because after today, I will have no reason to remember you." She whispered intimately. "But you're going to spend the rest of your life trying to understand what I just did."

Everyone held their breath.

Turning around, the thief announced confidently. "I'm through playing your game, Leanne."

Ivy followed Carmen as she strode from the room. "You sure?"

"Yeah…" Carmen said in a shivering voice. "That's not going to bring me any peace."

Suhara caught up to them, leaning on Zack's arm.

"So… what happens now?" Ivy asked.

"I honestly don't care." Carmen muttered, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. "I just can't… can't deal with all this anymore."

Suhara put his hand on his student's shoulder.

"I don't want to look at her. I don't want to think about her." The thief was speaking rapidly with shallow breathing. "I'm done. I wasn't going to do anything. I was never going to do anything…"

Ivy almost didn't mention it, but suddenly blurted out. "I don't think I'm as… forgiving… as you Carmen."

Three pairs of eyes looked slowly at Ivy, then at the door, and back.

"Do what you like, just don't make me do it." Carmen answered with her eyes closed.

The thief's face followed the detective's movements as she watched back through the archway. Then Carmen closed her eyes again.

Zack didn't say anything, but he stayed with her. He knew that it mattered.

When Ivy returned from the room, they couldn't see any difference in her. "You're right." She commented toward the master-thief. "Revenge doesn't make me feel any better."

Carmen shivered. "Could you do it? I just couldn't..."

Ivy frowned. "Sort of..."

* * *

When they finally returned to the room in a group, to figure out how to deal with the director, the friends found themselves shocked.

Still tied to the chair, Leanne's body was covered in crimson blood, with glazed eyes staring at the ceiling, the only recognizable feature. .

"I… I didn't do that." Ivy stammered, seeing the appalled nauseated look on her idol's face. "I did some stuff but… Carmen, I swear I didn't..."

"She's telling the truth." A dark voice announced.

They all jumped.

"You're right." Ray announced, as he turned around slowly, aiming the gun at Carmen. "She would have killed me too."

"What did you do Ray?" The thief asked in an eerily calm voice, her hands apart in a placating gesture..

"I killed her." He deadpanned.

"It looks like you skinned her alive!" Ivy said shrilly.

"Yes…" Ray said with a dark grin. "Finally, a soundproof room that worked in my favor. After all the sick things she made me do, it was a treat to work on someone who actually deserved it."

They all hesitated.

A gun fired, and someone screamed.

Ray crumpled to the ground, as blood pooled beneath him. The gun dropped from senseless fingers.

Everyone frenetically spun towards the source of the sound.

Ceria Labrat slowly lowered her weapon. "I see I'm a little late…"

Zack made an indistinct sound of shock.

"What was that?" Ivy managed.

Ceria shrugged. "Self defense. There was after all an internationally wanted assassin holding three members of the law enforcement profession and one um… civilian."

"You just shot him!" Ivy said, somewhat obviously.

"Well you weren't going to." Ceria commented caustically. "Even if you had a weapon you'd all be too afraid what she" a pointed finger jab in Carmen's direction "Would think. I don't have that problem because I couldn't care less what she thinks of me. He needed killing, so I killed him. End of story."

"I didn't think you could shoot…" Zack stammered.

"You think we get the bullets for comparison by having them fire off themselves?" Ceria asked, as she strode off.

They all stared after her.

"You're not really going to date that girl are you?" Ivy asked.

Zack's mouth still hadn't closed.

"I mean if Ray had heard her he would have shot Carmen."

"That was a head shot. He wouldn't have had time." The thief clarified coldly.

They were out of words.

"There's a problem with all of this, detectives." Carmen finally said softly.

"Yeah…" Ivy remarked. "I can think of a few…"

"Aside from the whole murder thing…" Carmen commented. "We needed Leanne alive. There's no way anyone is ever going to believe any of this and so there's" The slightest tremor. "No chance I will ever be able to return."

"You hoped to come back?" Zack asked gently.

"Hoped is a strong word for it." Carmen replied. "I've known for a long time that I had no chance… but for a moment there when…. I thought it might actually be over. It was a stupid selfish notion, detective, forget I said it."

"Your objection is that no one would believe you?" Ivy inferred.

"Don't patronize me detective." Carmen said tiredly. "I could see the trial now. The international felon trying to slander the reputation of the heroic director. I have no credibility, even if the two of you do back me up. Leanne confessing was the only chance."

"You really don't give other people enough credit, Carmen." Ivy remarked dryly.

"Detective no jury will believe…."

"Maybe so… but that's not what I meant. I was getting at this…" Ivy pulled back the collar of her coat. "You think you're the only one who knows how to wear a wire?


	16. Bitte

Summary: The entire time, she'd been a pawn in someone else's competition.

Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Disclaimer: There is violence, sexual content, and copious misuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you've read Endgame and Play On, you know where this is going. If you haven't, I suggest you start with those so you don't get confused. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.

* * *

Carmen's eyes went wide. "How much did that record?"

Ivy smiled. "All of it. The last three days."

Carmen laughed with relief, but then suddenly her eyes turned sad. "Including where you broke my elbow? And whatever you just did to Leanne?"

"Yes…" Ivy admitted.

"Then we're not using it." Carmen responded, turning away and walking briskly into the outside mountains.

Ivy followed at a run. "Why not?"

Carmen turned around so fast that Ivy nearly ran into her. "Because it will get you in trouble detective." She said with an intense glare. "If that comes out, Acme and the entire United States government will feel obligated to disavow you. "

"Carmen…"

" It's the Morocco quandary all over again. People want their safety, but they never want to know what it cost, detective. Leanne wasn't the only person willing to kill to prevent something like that becoming public."

"Look..."

"I will not risk you and your brother on some hair-brained romantic notion of a happy ending! As far as everyone is concerned, this is exactly what it looks like. Ray killed Leanne. Ceria killed Ray. End of story. If you try to do otherwise I will steal that tape and deny everything." The thief put her hands on her hips and her eyes flashed in determination.

Zack and Suhara had caught up. "What about you?" The youngest asked.

"Me?" Carmen shrugged. "What is there for me? I am… myself."

"And what is that, Carmen-Chan?" Suhara inquired gently.

"A thief…" She said slowly, nodding to herself. "And a coward who runs from the law."

"No…" Ivy said, and her voice broke. "No you're not."

"A character flaw or two is not the end of the world, detective."

"Don't ever let me hear you call yourself that again." Ivy ordered. "That... lie... is not your identity."

"Very well" Carmen shrugged. "You won't hear it from my lips. But, to the world." The thief swallowed "That is what I will always be."

"You're really going to just go back to the way things were before?" Ivy asked.

Carmen nodded deliberately with a slight crease in her eyes. "I'm needed where I am, detective. I don't like it, but leaving with you would be… irresponsible."

"Fine..." Ivy finally said. "I'll accept that decision. You've been... ordered... to do enough."

"Thank you..." The thief responded, almost inaudibly.

"And Carmen?"

The thief glanced up from the ground where her eyes had been resting.

"Don't you dare replace that cyanide."

Crimson lips pressed tightly together.

Noticing the lack of an answer, Ivy pulled out the eye of Miriam necklace Carmen had given her for her birthday, wearing it on the outside of her shirt. "You see this Carmen? By tomorrow, every detective who knows your story will be wearing one. I don't want you doing something dangerous because you weren't aware who knew."

Carmen nodded gravely. "A eye will be our code then. Thank you, Ivy."

"You going to be OK?" Zack wondered softly.

"I think so." Carmen answered steadily. "You told me not to leave without a goodbye Zack, so… goodbye, detectives."

The thief held open her arms.

"You want a hug?"

"Well…" Carmen mused. "It does have to last me for the rest of my life…"

She cut off abruptly as both detectives embraced her with such force as to nearly knock her off her stilettos. Carmen hissed sharply. "Watch my elbow…" she managed.

"Oh…" Zack readjusted. "Sorry."

Taking a deep breath, she drew the two of them in a little tighter, closing her eyes.

"If you ever get scared…or too tired to go on…" Ivy said against Carmen's shoulder. "You come back, and our careers can be dammed."

"My life doesn't frighten me detective." Carmen refused. "But… thank you. I will remember that."

They waited until Carmen pulled back slightly. "I'll give you a 5 minute head start…" Ivy offered.

"I only need thirty seconds." With a confident smile and wink, Carmen pushed them away forcefully and turned to run. "Goodbye, detectives."

* * *

A few months later, Zack and Ivy were in Germany. They were chasing after a child abductor, an anarchist, who'd taken the daughter of a high profile judge and left the country.

It was a tense case, and a frightening one. They'd traced the kidnapper through half of Europe, and finally to this section of Berlin. No one knew if the child was still alive.

Ivy was leading against a section of the Berlin Wall, next to one of the breaks made in the structure when the barrier fell. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily.

Real cases, ones that weren't just a game, took their toll eventually.

Zack put a hand on his sister's shoulder.

The were at an impasse… no leads, little hope.

Then…

"Miss Ivy?" Someone asked.

Ivy turned around frantically. "Who's there?"

"Down here." A child's voice said, pulling on her capris.

"Hey kid." Zack said, and then suddenly did a double take. "Marissa?"

"Yeah?" The kid said.

Ivy felt surprise and joy start to overwhelm her. "How'd you know my name?"

"The nice lady told me…"

Zack started scanning the barren surrounding urban area, "What nice lady?"

"The pretty one in the red coat…" The six year old explained innocently. "Who made the bad man go away."

The siblings' eyes met.

Leaving the child with his sister, Zack started running.

A few hundred feet down, unconscious and bound, their subject lay slumped against the graffiti filled concrete wall. Over the older graffiti, a newer symbol had been painted… an eye.

"Danke…." He whispered quietly, though he saw no one near.

"Bitte." He heard, though he couldn't say from where.

* * *

**Player: I know I can catch you Carmen.**

**Carmen: You can chase me until I die Player, but you'll never find me. **

**Player: I'm always going to be right behind you Carmen, making sure you don't get hurt.**

**Carmen: It's all a game, player. And whatever your motivations, you're going to have to keep up.**

**Player: I'm ready, let's go.**

**Carmen: Bring it on.**

* * *

A/N**: **This triology is done, but I am not**.** Some of my future work will likely take place in this universe, but for now I want to thank all of you who have been reading and supporting me throughout this endeavor. You are all awesome! Hope to see more of you, and more fics are on the way. **  
**


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